Surviving Ranger
by Rangersbabe10
Summary: Takes place after #18. Steph is with Morelli and Ranger learns to cope with that. Ranger with an OC! HEA!
1. Road Trouble

Author's Note: This takes place after Explosive Eighteen. Just finished the book and I am not happy. So...What happens to Ranger after Steph goes back to Joe once again? How does he react when he becomes attracted to another woman? This will take place in several POVs.

Warning: Not A Babe...This isn't exactly mean to Steph, but it doesn't highlight her...Ranger will be with another woman...and it does have spoiler alerts for books 1-18! Enjoy!

Road Trouble

Ranger's POV-

I clenched my fists against the steering wheel watching them turn white. Don't show any emotions. Don't lose control. Over and over I keep repeating those words hoping I can keep my control and my emotions in check. I can see out of the corner of my eye, Tank continuing to watch me closely. He knew what was going on, but he kept his opinions to himself.

After everything that happened between us in Hawaii, how could she go back to that cop? After the what happened in Barnhardt's closet, how could just hop back in Morelli's bed? I didn't know and I didn't understand. I love Stephanie, but at this time in my life I am unable to completely commit to a full time relationship. Steph knows this and understands it, but she runs back to that cop.

She claims she can't do casual, but isn't that what she has with Morelli. They are rarely seen in public together unless Steph has a car that explodes or finds a body. They hang out either at his place or hers; eating pizza, drinking beer, and having sex. I cringe inwardly at the thought of Steph having sex with that cop, but isn't that what they have; a casual relationship.

I actually let the little 'Burg' girl from New Jersey get under my skin. I would never allow that to happen again. When I need to get laid I'll go to Miami or Boston and find someone there. From here on out only one night stands. I'm done with caring for any woman. I'll still make sure that Steph is protected and a tracker on her, but myself personally, I'm out.

"The light's green." My second in command informed me. I looked up and indeed the light was green. I hit the gas pedal and we continued on our way to the Pine Barrens. A FTA had went missing and our source was sure he would end up hiding out in a cabin in the Barrens.

"A lot on your mind?" Tank asked me. I slid my eyes to meet his before focusing back on the road. Since when did my employees bother me when I'm in my driving zone. I kept my mouth shut and ignored him. He didn't take the hint. "What Steph did was wrong. We got your back, man." He told me and I gave a slight nod.

I pulled onto the dirt road leading to the cabin where our source told us that he would be hiding out. I was hoping that this guy would be here and that he put up a fight. I needed to land a few blows to get over this edginess I was feeling.

"What's your next action?" Tank asked me.

"We pick up our skip and get our receipt." I answered him knowing full well he wasn't talking about our take down. He snorted. "I meant with Bomber." He replied.

"We continue to have a tracker on her and give her help if she needs it, but I'm out." I explained.

He nodded. "Will do."

We continued down this never ending dirt road bumping along and hitting pot holes. Tank pointed out the window. "What the hell is that?" He asked. I slowed down and nearly groaned out loud at what I saw.

A dusty and rusted out candy apple green Toyota Corolla sat stranded on the side of the road but it was the driver that had me groaning on the inside. She looked short, maybe five foot or so and she was small. Wavy brownish blond hair hung loosely around her shoulders just shy of caressing her shoulders.

She was wearing a pair of tight blue jeans, a yellow t-shirt, and a pair of white tennis shoes. She looked young but old enough to cause serious trouble. I didn't want to stop to help, but the gentleman that was buried so very deep inside wouldn't allow me not to.

"Are ya gonna stop?" Tank asked me.

I looked over at him. "Do I have a choice?" My voice was gruff and full of sarcasm.

Tank shook his head. "No you don't." He answered.

I pulled behind the green car and parked. "Exactly."

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

"NO NO NO!" I shouted at my ugly green POS. "You can't do this to me." I ranted at my stupid car. "Not after the freaking day I had. Please." Or even after the freaking year at that. I let out a sigh, popped the hood, got out and went around to the front of the car. I opened the hood and a cloud of smoke rose from the car and I choked in the fumes.

Once the smoke cleared I was able to get a good view of my car and just as I expected. I had not a darn clue at what I was looking at. It all looked the same to me anyway. Black, dirty, and greasy looking. I let out another sigh and looked around.

"Just what I thought I saw the first time. Nothing but trees, dirt, animals, and bugs." I said to myself as I shudder in horror. Why does this crap always happen to me?

This past year has been a nightmare from hell. I started out the year on top of the world. I was engaged to a very sweet and successful man who I thought I loved, I was on top of my game in gymnastics, I had lots of friends and I had a good car. Ugh! I kicked the wheel and almost cried when it hurt my toe. I hadn't cried in last six months and I didn't want to start again. If I did I would never stop.

Hearing a vehicle behind me, I turned around and groaned. As it pulled behind my little car, I could see two large figures in the big black Ford F-250 truck. "Great. Now I'm about to be beaten, raped, and murder. They'll never find my battered body deep in whatever hell hole I have dug for myself." Talking out loud to myself is never a good idea, but oh well what did I have to lose. Besides my life of course.

The man in the passenger side was out first and I found myself looking up. He was tall maybe six foot five and he was black with a bald head and huge bulging muscles. He was wearing black cargoes, black T-shirt, and black butt-kicking boots. He had a utility belt around his waist full of artillery and he was hot.

The driver followed behind and my eyes widen. No I would most certainly not be raped. These guys were too hot to rape any girl. If the other one had been hot this one was drop dead gorgeous. I felt my panties getting wet just looking at him. I shook my head. You swore off scum sucking men, remember? Yes I did. Be strong. I took in the second man quickly. He too was wearing black cargoes, black t-shirt, black boots and had his own utility belt. It made me wonder if they worked together somehow.

The second one was shorter maybe standing about six foot even. He had some type of Latino background with his mocha latte skin-which was the only color to describe it. He had long hair that was pulled back with what looked like a leather tie.

I had trouble tearing my eyes away from this very sexy man. Muscles seem to bulge on every inch of his body; his thighs, his arms, his neck, his shoulders, his back, and even his abs had muscles. I stopped myself from groaning. No more men. Remember that and you'll accomplish anything.

I plastered a smile on face and faced these two very hot men. "Good afternoon gentlemen. Thanks so much for stopping. And for helping me." I felt like I was rambling and looking like an idiot.

The tall one smiled. "How do you know we stop to help?" He asked me. I felt physically sick. They didn't seem the type to hurt helpless females but after this past year I didn't know what to expect anymore. He immediately frowned and came to stand beside me.

"I'm sorry. I was only kidding." He claimed. I nodded but backed up. He held out his hand. "I'm Tank." He offered his name. I swallowed hard, took his hand and put the smile back on my face.

"I'm Ashley. It's nice to meet you Tank." I told him. I really had no idea what kind of name Tank was, but with his size it worked. I let go of his warm large hand. This one made me feel safe while the other one well I wasn't sure what he made me feel yet. I glanced over the other one and he looked devoid of all emotion. I wasn't really sure what to do with that look, but I held out my hand anyway.

"I'm Ashley." I offered my name. His left eyebrow came up and if anything he just became more gorgeous. Which wasn't fair. He look down at my hand but didn't accept it. He walked past me and over to my car. Okay so the sexy one was a jerk. Of course. Should I have suspected anything else? Of course not.

* * *

><p>Tank's POV-<p>

I wanted to slug my boss. I knew he was having trouble coping with what Steph did, but it didn't give him the right to treat Ashley like she had done something wrong. Hell, I wanted Ashley to stick around. She was cute and sexy too. She had the prettiest brown eyes and hair that looked like silk in the sunlight. Her peaches and cream complexion was bereft of all make-up and it worked on her. And man she was little.

She frowned when Ranger walked past her to the broken down piece of shit she called a car. She shrugged and turned to look at me. I gave her a slight grin. "Ignore him. He's having a crummy day." I told her and she nodded.

"What seems to be the problem with your car?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. It started acting funny about ten miles back. I made it here before it went kaput." I nodded and joined Ranger under the hood.

"Can you see what's wrong with the car?" I asked him.

He gave a small nod. "It's a piece of shit." He replied.

I chuckled and started actually looking at the car. It was a true piece of shit. This car was going to need a complete overhaul.

"Is there anything you guys can do to help it?" I heard Ashley ask behind us. We both turned to face her. She looked adorable standing there with her hands on her hips. Those jeans were tight but not so tight where it didn't leave nothing to the imagination. She was small all over but there was no doubt that she was all woman.

"You need a mechanic, Little One." I told her.

She frowned. "Any chance one of you is a mechanic?" She asked hopefully.

"Do we look like mechanics?" Ranger asked; his voice dripping with disdain.

She narrowed her eyes at Ranger. "I don't know. Why don't you frown and then I'll know for certain." She replied.

Ranger took a step forward and Ashley took a step back. I stepped up and blocked Ranger, cutting off his eye contact with Ashley. I could feel the anger waves coming off of him. For some reason this pint size woman set him off.

"Where are you headed, honey?" I asked.

"To Trenton."

I nodded. "We're from there ourselves. Why don't you go grab your stuff and we'll take you to Trenton. Then you can call a tow truck to come get your car." I offered.

Her teeth pulled in her lower lip and she gently began to gnaw on it. "Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked; her eyes flashing to a pissed off Ranger.

I nodded. "We're sure."

She gave me a smile which I returned. She really was cute. Too little for me, but cute. Once she got out of ear shot, Ranger let me have it. He punched me hard in the shoulder and I grimaced.

"Mats in the morning. 0500 hours." He ordered me.

I shrugged. I didn't care. I just wanted to know why he was being a hard ass. "What is your problem, Range Man?" I asked him.

"My problem is that we have a skip to retrieve. We don't have time to pick up little white girls that are nothing but trouble." He hissed at me.

"The skip isn't going anywhere. She needs a ride to Trenton. Are you really that much of an ass that you would leave her in the middle of fucking no where?" I responded with equal venom.

To anyone who didn't know us, it looked as though we were having a casual conversation, but to someone who did could tell we were both pissed off and gearing for a fight.

"Just because you want to get in her pants, doesn't mean I want to." Ranger threw at me. I clenched my fists and willed myself to calm down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ashley fast approaching us.

"I think the only reason why you're so pissed off, is because you do want in her pants." I taunted him. He was getting ready to deny that particular comment when Ashley joined us.

"Okay, I'm ready." She told us. She had one suit case and two duffel bags. I took her bags and ushered her towards our truck.

"Where to, Little One?" I asked as I threw her bags into the back of the truck.

"Knights Inn in the middle of town." She answered.

I held back my laughter as I watched Ranger's entire body clench tight. Knights Inn was directly across from RangeMan Inc. "I know the place." I told her as I opened the back door and she climbed in.

Once we were all settled in the truck with our seat belts on did she speak. "Is in a safe part of town? I'd never been here before." She asked.

I nodded. "Safest part of Trenton." I reassured her. I watched as Ranger continued to take small glimpses of her in the rear view mirror. He wasn't as immune to her as he wanted to believe.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Now please..not many people will read this, so if you are one of the sweet ones that is reading..please leave me a review! Let me know what you think. ...Again. I have never been to Trenton so anything with landmarks.. I make up!<p> 


	2. At The Gym

Author's Note: Again this isn't a Babe.. Sadly I'm a little ticked off at Steph and wanted a little happy time with Ranger! Characters are not mine...only Ashley

THANK YOU! TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT LEFT ME A REVIEW! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

At The Gym

Ashley's POV-

"Give me another one." He barked out at me. I rounded the mats and did it again.

"Another one." He said it again and again I rounded the mats and did it again. I ached all over, but I didn't care.

"One more, Angel Face. You can do it." Erik cheered me on. I knew Erik. He had been a really good friend quite some time ago. Imagine my surprise when I showed up here almost a week ago and recognized Erik as part of my old traveling team. We performed together day after day and night after night for almost two years. One day Erik decided he wanted to open up his own gymnastics studio for young children and performers. So he left the group and ventured out on his own. I was thrilled that I knew the owner of the studio. It made the pain bearable and more easier since Erik understood.

I rounded the mats and did another back handspring. When I stuck the landing once again, I felt better about myself as I should. I finally collapsed on the red and blue mats completely out of breath. Erik came to stand over me and he was grinning.

"How do you feel?" He asked me.

I groaned loudly and he laughed. "I'm sore and I can't believe I did it." I admitted.

He sat down beside and patted my tummy. "You just did fifty back handsprings in under twenty minutes. You should be proud of yourself." He told me. And I was, but before I was better and I needed to get back to what I had been doing. I use to be able to do fifty back handsprings in under five minutes. I was small and limber and able to do anything. Not anymore.

I nodded. "I am."

He made a tsking sound and I sat up. "What? I am." I said and he frowned at me.

"I know and you think you could do better." He started.

"I know I could do better because I use to be better." I argued.

He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. I had most of my hair in a ponytail at the top of my head and a few pieces had come lose. "You haven't changed, Angel. You are still the same person you were but with a few bumps and bruises. You'll get there, I promise." He assured me. Yea, but when?

I fell back against the mats again. "Ugh! I'm tired of waiting. I want to get back on the road and perform. I love performing." I whined. I hated whining. It made you look stupid and bratty.

He chuckled and got up. "Well you have wore me out. I have got a hot date tonight and I need to get ready." He stated and held out his hand. I bet he did have a hot date. Erik was yummy looking. He was a little under six foot with brown wavy hair that was cut military short with hazel-green eyes. He wasn't as muscular as Tank or _the jerk_ but he was still hot. "You coming?" He asked. I took his hand and he pulled me up.

I shook my head. "I'm going to stay a little bit longer and work on a few more moves." I told him. I needed to work on my back flips just a little bit more.

His eyes narrowed and he frowned. "Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yep." I said popping the 'p'. "I want to practice a little more." I assured him this time. Maybe a lot more. I really suck.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll let you lock up, but stay off the equipment. I don't want your shoulder giving out and you falling, okay?" He asked; his voice filled with concern.

I nodded and smiled. "No equipment. Yes Sir." I teased him. He grinned and rolled his eyes. I loved teasing him.

He ruffled my hair. "Brat." He joked. I laughed. He was several years older than me and always treated me like I was his little sister. It never got old. It comforted me.

He walked away from me and out of the room. I went back to my back handsprings and alternated with cartwheels and round offs. After a few minutes Erik called out. "Good night, Angel Face."

"Good night, Erik." I called back. I heard the front door open then close signalling that I was finally alone. I started doing front handsprings along with my back ones too. My shoulder was protesting but I continued on. I really wanted to get on the bars but I promised Erik no equipment so I would keep that promise, but it was so hard.

After a few more cartwheels, back flips, and front flips, I flopped back onto the mats. My whole left side was protesting the hard work out, but I felt good. I closed my eyes and let the calm come over me. This was one of the many things that I missed after my accident. After a hard work out we always laid out on the cool mats and talked about our day. Often not we didn't even start going home until one or two in the morning. I squeezed my eyes tight and fought against the tears that threatened. I pushed those thoughts aside. Now I could only _think_ about my week instead of being able to talk it out.

What a week it had been. It had started out kind of sucky. After Tank and his brooding companion rescued me from what I knew now was the Pine Barrens, they dropped me off at my hotel. The entire trip back to Trenton had been filled with thick tension. I made several attempts to get _the jerk_ to talk to me, but he shut me down at every turn. So I ignored him and talk to Tank.

Tank was a trip and reminded me of a giant teddy bear. He smiled and joked easily putting me at ease. When dropping me off at the hotel both Tank and _the jerk_ got out of the vehicle and helped me with my bags. Saying good bye I actually gave Tank a hug and he eagerly returned it. I offered my hand once again to _the jerk_ and he looked at me like I had grown another head and walked off. Tank apologized for his friend's continuous behavior. I told him it wasn't his fault of course. He told me that if I saw him around to holler at him. I told him I would, I just secretly added to myself that if _the jerk_ was with him, I wouldn't.

Why I kept calling him _the jerk_ when I consider it a little rude and hateful. Well I never actually got his name. I heard Tank calling him Ranger or so I thought but I couldn't be certain. So I just kept my mouth shut. Whenever Tank went to offer me his name, I would quickly change the subject. If _the jerk_ didn't want me to know his name then I didn't want to know it.

I snorted in disgust. I'm disgusted with myself. That man is turning me into a rude mean person. I had no idea why. I didn't like him. Not even a little bit. So what if he was the sexiest man I had ever seen, I still didn't like him. So what if he had the silkiest looking hair or the prettiest dark eyes, I still didn't like him. Even if he did make me feel extremely feminine being beside him and made me squirm like a cat in heat when he was around, I still didn't like him. Okay, maybe I liked him a little, but I would never admit that to him.

I was drifting off on the mats when I heard the front door open and close. I jerked up and winced in pain as my shoulder objected to the sudden movement. I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that I had been lying here for over an hour. Erik was long gone so whoever that just came through the front door was probably not friendly. When opening the front door, you had two choices. You could either enter the gym or go to Erik's office. Since the locker rooms and individual work out rooms were behind me, he would have had to come through the gym to get there. Since the intruder had yet to make a appearance in the gym, I knew then he went to Erik's office.

I went to stand up and the gym went dark. He went to Erik's office. "Crap." I muttered under my breath. "Most definitely not friendly." There were no windows in the huge open space of the gym, but I knew my way around easily. Since I had been spending day and night here, I had gotten to know the layout well. The resting benches were on the far north wall about twenty feet away. My gym bag was there along with my phone, pepper spray, and keys. I took a look around me trying to feel another presence, but when I came up empty, I quietly jogged to the benches. Reaching my hand out I groped along the edge of the bench until I came in contact with my bag. I grabbed it quickly and went to fumbling through it. I had just wrapped my hand around my cell phone when I felt a presence behind me.

Before I could react he had my feet off the floor and I was locked in a tight hold. Through my thin leotard, I could feel a zipper against my back so I knew he was wearing a jacket. In this heat I found that to be a little off center. I kicked out my feet and screamed at the idiot who was tightening his hold on me. My shoulder was really beginning to protest this unusual abuse and I knew I would have to do something. I continued to scream my butt off until his right hand snaked up to clamp down tight against my mouth. The smell of peanut butter and chocolate filled my nostrils. Seriously, the man ate a Reese's cup before coming here. I continued to wiggle, kick, and struggle against him, but he was much bigger than I was.

"Shut up, маленькая сука." He snarled at me. I had no idea what he called me but I had a feeling it wasn't good.(little bitch)

With his right arm pinning my right arm down and his hand clamped on my mouth and his left arm pulled tight across my waist pinning my other arm down, I had to fight harder or I wasn't going to live through this. I took a deep breath and threw my head back as hard as could against the guy's face. His right hand moved away from my mouth to cover his. I could hear him muttering something but I didn't take the time to comprehend it. I threw back my right arm and nailed him in the nose with the back of hand.

His hold immediately loosened enough that I could wiggle out from behind his left arm and I dropped to the floor. I wasted no time in getting up and running for the front door.

I could hear him screaming obscenities at me, but I continued to run. I got to the front door and I could see the guy's reflection in the glass. I quickly took in his over six foot height, white blond hair, matching mustache, and the blood pouring from his nose. I almost smiled at that as I pushed the door open and ran out into the street.

Thanking God that not only was the hotel I was staying in just down the street from the gym but that I was alive and unharmed, I continued to run down the street. Halfway there I turned around and noticed he was gone.

I took a deep breath, turned around and continued to run towards my hotel. I wasn't taking any chances. I didn't stop until I was safely inside the lobby of Knights Inn.

* * *

><p>Lester's POV-<p>

Looking out the fifth floor window, I wondered what the hell was going on down the street. Blue and red lights were flashing and there were people standing around everywhere. They looked as though they weren't doing a damn thing, but I was intrigued.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Tank's booming voice asked me.

I shrugged. I really had no idea what I was looking at but I wanted to get the hell out of this enclosed space and go find out. Usually by this time, we had already called it a night and were doing our own thing.

"Sit down so we can continue this meeting and get the hell out of here." Tank ordered. That is what I wanted. I also wanted to see what was going on down the street.

I turned away from my window and flopped myself down into chair between Cal and Ram. Letting out a sigh, I asked. "What the hell is this meeting even for?"

Tank sent a glare of annoyance my way and I glared back. "Ranger will be back tomorrow morning and he wanted everything back in order before he returned. That's tomorrow and everything is still the way it was when he left." Tank explained once more. I nodded my agreement.

Carlos had left for Boston four days ago to settle a high end account. Before he left he ordered the rest of us to pick up the remaining skips and get all the paperwork in order for the next set of skips. Picking up them up was easy, but we were still working on the paperwork.

My cousin had been in such a mood lately. Every since Steph showed up and told him she went back to the cop, he's been different. I had been eaves dropping when she told him that Morelli wanted her to stay away from him so they could get on with their relationship. Steph agreed. So Carlos told her good luck and wished her well. She left and when she did she closed the door behind her. But I still heard the object hit the wall against my ear and shatter.

Almost as bad as that, since Steph had went back to Morelli, the Trenton Police Department was getting harder and harder to deal with. They continued to gloat as though they had won something special. We were all tired of dealing with TPD and it made most of our moods even worse. Carlos was the worst. Bomber had done a number on my cousin.

Which brought me back to looking out the fifth floor window. When Tank had told us about meeting the petite woman on the side of the road wearing tight blue jeans and a yellow T-shirt, I was interested in meeting her. Especially when Carlos came in and found out who were talking about and barked out that he didn't want to hear that name mentioned ever again. I expected that reaction hearing Steph's name, but not from some little white girl that was found stranded on the side of the road. Now all of RangeMan wanted to meet the girl who was staying in the hotel across the street.

* * *

><p>Big Dog's POV-<p>

"Please tell me one more time what happened?" I asked the little beauty. She was too. Her hair pulled back into a ponytail with little wisps of the silky material escaping to caress her neck and her brown eyes wide with fright. She had a peaches and cream complexion that had a thin layer of sweat covering her delicate face, slender neck, and fine boned shoulders.

She told me once more what happened in detail down to the smell of his hands which I found odd. Even though she was scared to death she had gotten quite a few details on her attacker. Her small hands trembled as did the rest of her. I tried to keep my eyes off her small sexy body but it was hard. She was only wearing a pearl white leotard with pink heart at the small of her back. She was all woman and the hard on in my pants continue to throb its reminder of that fact.

It was hot evening so I didn't have a jacket to offer her so I did the next best thing. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so rude. Let me get you a blanket out of the trunk of my squad car." I offered. She smiled up at me and I felt warm inside. She had a sweet smile. I hurried over to my squad car and popped the trunk. Grabbing the blanket I jogged quickly back to Ashley who was standing there alone.

We called the owner of the gym and he was on his way back from Newark. From what I understood those two were friends from way back. Lucky him, but she told me he was on a date with another woman. With someone like Ashley in front of you, why would you want to date another woman. If I didn't already have a girlfriend, I would slip her my number. Professional or not I couldn't help it. She was giving me the worse boner I have ever had.

I gave her a small smile as I slipped behind her. I go to put the blanket around her shoulders when I notice the blood on the back of her leotard around her neck. Since Ashley said she wasn't hurt I had to assume it was her attacker's.

"Ashley, honey I'm sorry, but we are going to need that leotard." I told her.

She choked back a sob and my heart went out to her. "Why?" She asked softly.

"There is blood on the back of it and I'm going to guess that it just might be our perp's blood." I explained.

She nodded. "O-Okay." She complied easily. She was shaking so bad I thought her teeth were going to fall out. I introduced her to Robin who was going to take her in the back and take the leotard into evidence. She thanked me over and over again before following Robin. She really was a sweet little thang. She claimed she had no idea who would want to hurt her, but I was thinking it was some type of pervert that had been watching her and he decided to quit waiting and take what he wanted.

I turned around after she disappeared into the building and came face to face with Ranger Manoso. He was the behind the wheel of his Porsche Turbo and he looked indifferent. Which was the way he always looked. I nodded to him and he did the same. I walked closer intending to talk to him to see if had heard or saw anything, but he drove off into the night.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

Walking into the front door of the gym, I found myself enveloped in a pair of strong arms. Inhaling deeply I got a whiff of vanilla, ginger, pepper, and cedar. Only one male in my life smelled like that. "Hi, Erik." I muttered into his chest. He did smell really good.

He pulled me away from him and began to look me over. His hands roamed up my arms and around my shoulders. He then turned me around and began to check out my back then up and around my collarbone. He spun me around and cupped my face in his hands. He brushed his thumbs underneath my eyes before placing a small kiss on my mouth.

I didn't know how to interpret that kiss so I pulled back and grabbed his wrists. "Erik, I'm fine." I told him. I really wasn't. I was scared to death that he might come back and finish what he started.

He looked into my eyes and frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. I nodded; lying again. He crushed me to him once more. "Thank God. By the time I got back last night, they said that you had went back to the hotel. I wanted to come check on you but it was late and I knew you would be asleep." I wasn't sleep. I didn't sleep at all last night. He rambled on some more and I started laughing. Erik never rambled so it was a little funny to see him doing it now. He pulled back again; his frown more pronounced. "What?" He questioned.

I shook my head. "Nothing." "But I'm just fine. The attacker is the one with a broken nose, not me." I told him. I was glad I broke his nose or I assumed I broke his nose.

He finally grinned. "You broke his nose?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes I did or I think I did. I didn't know what else to do so I did what I knew I could." I explained.

He kissed my forehead once more. "Oh Angel Face, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared." He admitted to me.

I felt the tears well up in my eyes. "Me too. I thought he was going to kill me." I choked on the last two words and Erik crushed me to him once more.

"Shhh. You're fine now and that is never going to happen again." He assured me. Glad he was sure because I was not. "Now, do you have any idea who it could have been?" He asked me and I shook my head. "I really honestly have no idea. The police asked me last night over and over again, but I couldn't come up with a single person." That's what scared me the most. If I didn't have any idea who it was then how would the police find him.

"Do you think it was random?" He asked. Again I shook my head. "I have no idea, Erik. None. The police continued to ask me that same questions over and over. I even gave them a description of the guy. They want me to come down later to go through some books with pictures of guys in it." I explained.

"Anything else you remember?" He asked me.

I nodded. "He spoke in another language." I told him. A really different and almost frightening language.

"Spanish or French?"

I shook my head. "No I would recognize either one of those." I told him; seeing as how I spoke a little bit of both. Not a lot of Spanish, but some and quite a bit of French. "It was really different, Erik."

He frowned. "Can you try to repeat it?" He asked. So I did. I remembered the beginning of it better so I tried to mimic him. After several attempts I gave up.

"It sounds almost Russian or German." He said. I nodded. I hadn't a clue. "Do you know anyone from Russia or Germany?" He asked me. I cocked my eyebrow at him and frowned. What a crazy question.

"I don't know, Erik. I've been to both places and have met hundreds of people." I told him. I felt like crying. "I don't know Erik, but I hate this feeling." I admitted.

"What feeling?" He asked.

"This feeling of helplessness. I thought I had finally gotten over it and now I'm back to the beginning. Will I ever feel safe again?" I sobbed out. He crushed me to him once again. Rubbing circles down my back, I let myself sink into his warmth. I was sick and tired of this feeling. First back at home with my family and friends. They always wanted to look after me and now here in my new home, I can't even go to the gym. I let out a sigh of defeat.

"You will feel safe and the reason has just arrived." He announced suddenly. I looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He nodded towards the front door and I looked over. "I called RangeMan this morning. They are the number one security company in several states. They agreed to come over and install a state of the art system. When I explained why they agreed to come as soon as possible." Erik explained. My eyes went wide at what I saw.

Two big black SUVs had pulled up in front of the gym. Stepping out of one of the SUVs was Tank and Mr. Jerk himself. So they worked for RangeMan. Just great. Just freaking great.

* * *

><p>Please leave a review..they make me happy!<p> 


	3. Self Defense

Self-Defense

Ashley's POV-

He nodded towards the front door and I looked over. "I called RangeMan this morning. They're the number one security company in several states. They agreed to come over and install a state of the art security system. When I explained why they agreed to come as soon as possible." Erik explained. My eyes went wide at what I saw.

Two big black SUVs had pulled up in front of the gym. Stepping out of one of the SUVs was Tank and Mr. Jerk himself. So they worked for RangeMan. Just great. Just freaking great.

I felt the blood leave my face. I so did not want to face that man today. And now he knew I was attacked. He seemed the type to lay the blame at my feet. Was it my fault? No it wasn't. I was the victim. I swallowed hard when the team of four walked closer. Crap. "Erik, did you mention my name?" I asked hoping maybe on some level that the jerk didn't know. That Tank didn't know.

Erik shook his head. "No I didn't. I only told them that my friend was working late and she was attacked. I never mentioned your name, Angel. I promise." He assured me and I nodded. He gently tilted my face so my eyes met his. "Are you okay?" He asked; concerned.

I nodded. "I'll be okay." I told him. As RangeMan opened the front door and walked in, I only hoped that I remained that way.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

When I received the call this morning from Erik Hatch, the owner of this gym in front of me, I wasn't surprised. Often not when your home is broken into or you're personally attacked, you get all defensive and start looking for security companies. That was where I came in. I was sorry to hear that his female friend was attacked. However if it had been my woman, she wouldn't have been alone in a gym, at night without an alarm in place. But this was not my woman and I didn't care how he treated his woman.

I joined Tank at the sidewalk and stared at the building. It was a large one story brick structure. A glass window took up one side and that was only window in the place except for the glass door. Mr. Hatch stated that he only wanted a few cameras. One in his office, one in the lobby in front of his office, three or four in the main gym area and one at the front door and another at the back door. All in all this would be easy installation and an easy account.

"Big place." Tank commented.

I nodded. "Did you hear anything about the woman that was attacked?" I asked.

"No. TPD was being closed mouth as usual. But I heard the woman was a sexy little thing." Santos added.

"Sí. Y muy minúsculo." Hector joined in. I was glad he was here for this particular job. Although the children inside would be probably be scared shitless of the man with the tear drop tattoos. (Yes. And very tiny)

I stepped away from the group and walked forward. Opening the glass door I came face to face with the woman I hoped never to see again. This pint sized woman aroused feelings in me that I didn't want nor need. Especially after Stephanie.

I also didn't like the feeling that came over me as I found Ashley in the arms of another man. I shouldn't have had these feelings because I didn't want them. They turned to face us and I felt like I was punched in the stomach. Ashley's beautiful brown eyes were filled with pain, hurt and Dios Mio, they were filled with fear. Why was she scared and what was she scared of?

Ashley took a step back away from the man beside her and I felt a little relieved. Her blondish brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail and once again she wasn't wearing any make up. She had a pair of flip flops on her feet, a scrap of red clothing on her legs and she was wearing a long black t-shirt that read, 'Warning: Gymnast Could Flip At Any Moment! Keep Safe Distance.' My lips twitched at the wording on the shirt. I could see this little thing being a gymnastic. I bet she was quite limber. I shook my head. Bad thoughts, Manoso. Walk away from that.

"That's Ashley." Tank stated; shock of seeing her here in his voice.

Santos let out a low whistle. "That's Ashley?" He asked.

"Yep. Cute, isn't she?" Tank replied with a smile.

"I'll agreed with that. God almighty she's gorgeous." Santos stated. I growled a warning and Santos laughed. Hector agreed with Santos and I told them all to back off. They both gave me knowing looks and I ignored them. She didn't mean anything to me and it would remain that way.

The man with Ashley walked over to us and held out his hand. "I'm Erik Hatch and you must be Ranger Manoso." He introduced himself. I nodded and accepted his hand. So Ashley was dating the owner of the gym, well she didn't waste any time.

I introduced Tank to Erik. He politely greeted the owner before turning to Ashley. Drawing her into his arms slowly, he stated. "Little one, you looked scared to death. You okay?" He asked. I noticed a tremor went through her small body as she returned Tank's hug. "I'm fine Tank, but thank you for asking." She replied. I watched her body language closely and I could tell she was lying. But why? Could she have been the one attacked?

I clenched my fists tight at that thought and glanced over at Erik who was talking with Tank. He should have protected her better.

I introduced my other two men to both Erik and Ashley. Santos took a hold of Ashley's hand and kissed her knuckles. "You are a gorgeous little thing, aren't you?" He teased her. She blushed the prettiest shade of pink and the cock in my pants took notice. I shifted painfully.

"Santos." I growled out. He winked at her and dropped her hand. I heard Erik chuckling softly and I wondered why he was laughing. If Ashley was my woman I would have beaten the hell out of any man who dare touch her. But she wasn't my woman. Remember that Manoso.

As if she sensed my thoughts, she took a step away from me. "Erik, I'm gonna go work the balance beam for awhile." She told him.

He turned to face her. "You sure you're okay?" He asked her.

She nodded. "I'm fine, I promise." She said almost forcefully. She was still lying.

He nodded. "Just be careful, Angel." He told her.

"Always." She replied back. Erik kissed her forehead before releasing her completely. I hated how comfortable she was around him. She said bye to us one last time and walked towards the balance beams.

* * *

><p>Lester's POV-<p>

After Erik showed us where he wanted each individual camera and the kind of service he wanted, we all separated and went our separate ways. I was lucky that I got stuck installing the three cameras in the main gym area. Upon entering the room, my eyes went straight to the sexiest woman in the room.

My dick went painfully hard when I caught sight of her on the balance beam. She was only wearing one of those one piece body suit things. It was solid black and I could barely make out the words, 'To Be A Champion... You Must Train Like A Champion, written in bright pink. That little piece of clothing didn't hide much and it was only making my cock throb harder at each little turn or flip she did.

I rarely see any women going without make up so it was a pleasure to see this one not wearing any and she did it so well. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail with little tendrils curling around her cherub face. I can see why Erik called her Angel Face.

She also had the prettiest milk chocolate brown eyes and it pained me to see them filled with pain and fear. I overheard Tank and Carlos talking and they both believe that Ashley was the one that was attacked. I shook my head at that thought. If her and Erik were together than Erik needed a lesson in treating a lady right. The first lesson was, don't leave her alone at night with no way to protect herself. What a dumb ass.

I had to admit Tank was right in his description of her. She was beautiful, but she had this aura around her that made you just want scoop her up and keep her away from any danger or harm. Carlos continued to glance over at her but would quickly look away. He wanted her and the way he kept shifting made me believe that he had an erection just as hard as mine.

All of RangeMan stepped back when it came to Stephanie. We all considered her Carlos' woman, but I had to say that the same wouldn't be said when it came to the little gymnastic. As soon as RangeMan caught sight of this gorgeous creature, her dance card would be full. And I was going to be first in line.

I looked over at my cousin once again. He was standing in the door way of the gym and his eyes were on Ashley. He was watching her closely and I groaned. Damn. I would still be first in line, but I would warn my cousin first. He might want to deny any feelings but his eyes and body language stated otherwise.

* * *

><p>Tank's POV-<p>

I wanted to hit someone. I wanted to beat the ever living hell out of someone. I wanted to kill someone. I joined Ranger who was standing at the door way to the gym. His eyes were on Ashley and my eyes went there too.

Her body language was focused on her task at hand, but we both saw the fear and pain in her brown eyes as she greeted us at the door. Who would honestly hurt this pint size little girl was beyond me.

"So did you call?" I asked.

He gave a slight nod. "I did and the Chief was all too happy to talk to me." He answered

"Really?" I questioned. I found that quite odd. Since Steph had went back to Morelli and stopped hanging around Ranger, the TPD were acting like a bunch of **high school students***.

He gave another nod. "He did and he apologized for his employees' behavior. I ignored that and asked him who was attacked at the Hatch's Gymnastics Center." He replied.

"And?"

He nodded towards Ashley. "It was her."

I let out a hiss of anger. "Do they know who attacked her?" I asked. I wanted to get my hands on the sick son of a bitch who dare touch her.

He gave a small shake of his head. "Big Dog wrote up his report as the guy just saw Ashley and decided he wanted her. So he went after her." I didn't believe that and I'm guessing the Chief didn't either.

"And what does the Chief believe?" I asked.

"That it was not a random attack. He wanted Ashley for a reason." He answered. I let out a breath. I wonder what the reason was.

"Why does he believe that?" I asked.

"Not really sure. Those were the Chief's words not mine. He believes that if it was just a random attack, he would have waited until Ashley was walking back to her hotel and just grabbed her which would have caught her off guard."

The Chief had a good point but wait.. "She walks back and forth to her hotel?" I questioned. I looked over at her the woman in question. It took all my control not to go scoop her up and keep her locked up at RangeMan.

He nodded. "She does. Her car is still in the garage and she told him no hurry. She didn't want it back."

I shook my head in disbelief. "What is she thinking? I know this street is pretty safe with RangeMan Inc being on the block, but someone her size is never fully safe." I hated to think something could happen to this sweet woman.

"I agree. The Chief stated that Ashley got away because she might have broken the guy's nose with her 'deadly' hand." Ranger commented with admiration in his voice.

I grinned. "She knows self-defense?" I asked. I felt a little proud at that.

"Big Dog asked her the same question. She said she knew a little, but only just." He replied.

"She needs to know more. Her size is clearly working against her." I told him.

Ranger let out his equivalent of a sigh. "I'm going to go offer to teach her self defense over at RangeMan." He replied.

I glanced over at him in shock. "You serious about that?" I questioned. I couldn't believe that he actually was going to have Ashley come to RangeMan. His attitude towards the pint size minx was one of disgust. I was now wondering if he was just disgusted with himself and his feelings towards Ashley.

He nodded. "She needs to know it and I am the best at what I do." He wasn't bragging either. He was just stating the truth.

"Do you think she'll accept your help? I asked him. I doubted it after the way he treated her.

He gave a small shrug. "She will. If I have to deceive her somehow, she'll come to RangeMan to learn self-defense." He responded.

I frowned at that. "Don't you think that's just a little bit wrong?"

"Don't know and I don't care. She needs to learn before something happens to her." He replied before walking away towards where Ashley was on the balance beam. I couldn't stop the grin that spread across my face. Oh yeah, he had feelings for her. He was just going to have to deal with the feelings he had for Steph, first.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I walked over to where Ashley was working on the balance beam. She looked so damn graceful up there, twisting and turning. The leotard she had was one I'm sure was true to her and how she felt. She truly trained like a champion and it showed.

Her body was an art of perfection. Her arms were slender, delicate and had a hint of muscles. I could tell she was favoring her left shoulder but it was just a small tell. I wonder what the story was there. She had small breasts but with her small frame, they were just the perfect size. Her tummy was flat with just a small hint of a curve to prove she was a woman and not a man. Her legs were lean with muscles throughout her calves and thighs. I could easier picture those trim legs wrapped tightly around my waist as I plunge deep inside her silky depths.

I shifted painfully as the erection I was sporting earlier had returned full force. I couldn't talk to her with a hard on in my pants. I turned my thoughts over to Grandma Mazur and her bright blue hair and wandering hands. My erection deflated in an instant. I let out a sigh of relief and turned my full attention to Ashley and Erik who was barking out commands.

"Do a back flip." He told her. She did it easily.

"How about a pivot jump?" He questioned. She took a deep breath and did that too.

"Now a hand stand and then you get down so this man over here can talk to ya." Erik told her. I glanced over at him and he was watching me. I wasn't sure what the look on his face was for, but he was wrong if he thought he could trust me with his woman. I may not want a relationship with Ashley or any woman, but I was still a poacher through and through.

I turned to watch Ashley as she placed her hands on the beam and slowly raised her legs. I watched as she then opened her legs into a split. My eyes widen as her legs became parallel with the balance beam. My hard on returned with a vengeance and I growled my approval of the way her body was moving. I swallowed hard as she lowered her legs until she was straddling the beam. She then sat down and turned to look at Erik.

"We're done for now?" She asked softly. Erik nodded and walked over to her. I couldn't believe the fine sheen of sweat covering her body was turning me on. But it was.

I watched through clenched teeth as Erik put his hands on her waist and lifted her off the balance beam. He placed her gently on her feet and smiled. "You're getting there, Angel Face. You're doing a great job." He told her as his hands came to rest lightly on her shoulders.

She gave me a smile that was almost blinding. I knew I wanted that smile focused on me. Shaking my head of those thoughts I stepped up. Erik glanced over at me then faced Ashley. He brushed her lips lightly with his and I wanted my fist in his face. But it was Ashley's reaction that made me think they didn't have anything more than a friendly relationship. She stepped back away from his touch; a look of discomfort on her face.

"Thanks Erik." She replied. Erik nodded, took one more look at me and walked away. Ashley grabbed a towel from her gym bag and wiped her face. Part of me was glad she did since it only made me think of her sweating and writhing under me while I was riding her into an orgasm. I shook my head trying to clear those thoughts.

She walked over to me and I hated the fear, pain, and uncertainty in her eyes. She chewed on her lower lip as she asked me. "Can I help you?"

I stepped closer to her and saw her eyes widen. I affected her and I felt relieved. I wanted and needed her to have some reaction at my nearness. "Are you alright?" I asked her.

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" She asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. "You were the one attacked last night, correct?" I questioned. Her breathing got deeper and her face flushed. The Poca Belleza was becoming pissed off.(little beauty)

"He told you? He said he didn't." She stated.

"The Chief told me because I asked. I just found out about twenty minutes ago." I told her.

She calmed down a little and nodded. "Oh. I'm fine. Is there anything else?" She asked me as she began to back away. I grabbed her wrist in a gentle grip and she instantly became still. I hated that the fear that flashed in her brown eyes.

"Ashley, I assure you I am not going to hurt you." I told her.

She nodded and glanced down where I was holding onto her wrist. "Please let me go." She whispered. I let go of her wrist and she backed up even more. I was an ass to her before and she didn't deserve it. And I was now paying for that. I had no one to blame but myself.

"I own RangeMan. We install security systems, but we also bounty hunt. We also all have some type of military background so we're trained in hand to hand combat." I explained. She looked a little lost, kind of like how I felt.

"Okay." She said.

I gave her a grin and she almost smiled back. Damn I had been so close. "I wanted to teach you some more self defense moves for your own safety." I told her.

She continued to chew on her bottom lip as if she was thinking. "I would like that, but will you be teaching it?" She asked me.

I nodded slowly and the look on her face was disappointment. Now that piss me off. Why didn't she want me teaching her? "I will be the one teaching you." I answered.

She shook her head. "Then no thanks." She said as she turned to gather her stuff up. I was momentarily distracted by her perfect heart shaped ass. I shook myself out of it.

"Why not?" I asked; trying to keep my voice flat.

She turned to look at me. "For one, I don't even know your name and two you don't like me and I don't like you." She told me.

I took a deep breath. "Ranger. You can call me Ranger. I'm sorry for the other day. I was in a bad mood." I couldn't believe I was apologizing for my behavior what the hell was wrong with me. I took a step forward. "Look, I'll tell ya what. I'll have one of my men teach you self-defense. I'll stay away." I told her.

She went back to chewing on the lip. "You promise."

I nodded. "I do." And I meant it. I needed to stay the fuck away from this poca belleza. Women were nothing but trouble.

She nodded. "Okay."

* * *

><p>I know I'm posting a lot faster..but I still love reviews!<p>

*Thanks To Angela Mueller for the high school reference!


	4. A Feeling

A Feeling

Lester's POV-

"Santos, my office." My cousin barked out at me as he walked past my cubicle. Before I could make a snappy retort, he had done disappeared into his office. He left the door opened, so I was guessing he wanted me in his office at that very moment. I chuckled to myself. Maybe I should make him wait.

"Santos." I heard him bark again only louder than this. I guess I shouldn't make him wait then. Too bad. I got up and walked myself to his office.

I got to his office door and he was already seated behind his desk with a stack of papers and two folders in front of him and a pen in his hand. "What's up, Coz?" I asked him.

He glanced up at me and pointed to the chair across from his desk. "Sit." He ordered.

Rolling my eyes, I planted myself firmly in the chair and waited. He flipped through several sheets of paper in the stack in front of him before putting everything down and leaning back in his chair.

I was about to ask him why he wanted me in his office if he wasn't going to say anything when he gave another order. "Shut the door."

I looked over and up and watched as Tank shut the office door. I guess I should be more aware of my surroundings. Tank turned back to face us and Carlos pointed at the seat next to me. "Sit." He barked at Tank. Tank raised an eyebrow and then curled himself into the empty chair.

We both waited as Carlos continued to sit there and look at us. He finally sat up and grabbed two folders. He tossed one to Tank and the other to me.

"Ashley Monroe is twenty four years old and a gymnast." He started out. She was younger than I thought, not that it mattered. And we already knew she was a gymnast.

I opened the folder and stopped short when a professional photo of a younger Ashley stared back at me. Her hair was longer than it was now and straight down her back. She didn't have a huge smile on her face, but who ever took the picture had done a great job of capturing the laughter in her soulful brown eyes. She looked a lot happier here in this picture than I had ever seen her. Of course I hadn't seen her since meeting her four days ago, but then her eyes were sad and full of fear.

I closed the folder and stared back at him. "You did a back ground check on her?" I asked more than stated. This was normal for us but we had no reason to perform one so I wanted to know why he did.

He gave a slight nod. "The TPD has asked for our help." He replied. Uh oh...

I couldn't keep the shock from my face and Tank was just as shocked as I was. "Why?" Tank asked.

"Second page of the folder." He answered. We both opened the folder and there was a copy of a piece of white computer paper with what looked like magazine letters glued to it. It simply read, 'Next time you won't know I'm coming.' My grip on the folder tightened at the idea that someone was threatening her. I looked up at Carlos.

"When did she received this? Where was it?" I wanted to know.

"It was left on her hotel room door, yesterday." Ranger answered. I snapped the folder shut, flopped back against the chair and let out a deep ragged breath.

"The son of a bitch knows where she's staying." Tank responded with rage in his voice. I felt his rage. My own was coursing through my veins.

Carlos nodded and I shook my head. "That still doesn't explain why they came to you. To RangeMan." I stated and it really didn't. The TPD could have handle this easily. Not that I didn't want to help Ashley because I did. In fact I planned on it.

"Next page." Carlos said and I turned the page. I inhaled sharply as I took in the white blond hair, blond mustache, jutted out cheekbones, thin lips, and the ugly leering face. We knew this asshole and he wasn't someone that played lightly. He was a mean son of a bitch when it came to something he wanted. Or if someone just got in his way.

"Okay why would Igor Stanislav have anything to do with attacking Ashley. He's into gun smuggling and running drugs, not gorgeous little gymnasts." I stated.

"She was given a book full of suspects and she picked his face out. She was never told what any of the suspects was arrested for. But she said that Stanislav looked like the man she saw in the reflection of the glass door." Carlos said.

"So she gave a positive id." Tank stated.

Carlos shook his head. "She wouldn't fully commit to saying he was the man. She said something felt off." He stated. Felt off? That sounded ominous.

"Like what?" I asked. Does Ashley have spidey sense like Steph? It might be helpful in this case.

"She didn't know. Something was just telling her that man was not the one who attacked her." He explained.

"Then why finger him?" Tank asked.

"She didn't, actually. When she came to his face, she inhaled sharply, became pale, and had gotten sick." Carlos stated. "Big Dog was interviewing her and he said that her reaction to Igor's picture was indescribable. He told Chief Juniak that he had a hard time watching it." Carlos added. I let out a deep breath and shook my head. I hate that this poor girl was going through this.

"So why deny he was the one she saw?" I asked. That part made no sense.

"He said that once she settled down and got a closer look, she said something felt off. She said she would not accuse anyone of anything until she was hundred percent certain." Carlos explained. I couldn't stop the grin the spread across my face. She really was sweet. I couldn't wait to see her again. I could take her out to dinner or take her out dancing. It would give me a reason to hold her small curvy body close to mine. Slip my leg in between hers and _.

"Did she say anything else?" Tank asked; breaking into my thoughts. Damn those thoughts were dangerous. I shifted in my chair to ease my discomfort.

Carlos nodded. "She said he spoke another language, but she wasn't sure what language it was. Only that it wasn't Spanish or French." He told Tank. I wonder if she spoke either one of those. Spanish would be fucking hot coming from that sweet little mouth.

"So it very well could have been Igor." I commented. If the language her attacker spoke was Russian. Since Igor spoke Russian and broken up English.

Carlos again nodded. "It could have been, but even with that information she will not give a positive idea until she's certain." He explained.

I nodded my understanding. "So... the TPD asked for your help because if it is Igor then we have a major problem on our hands." I said. If Igor was in the US, then we should have been contacted. He wasn't exactly welcomed in the US.

Carlos nodded and I continued. "And as Ashley wouldn't finger him, you believe she's protecting him for some reason." I added. Which is just stupid, but I knew my cousin's train of thought. Sometimes.

Carlos give a slight nod of his head. "Since you believe she's protecting him, you decided to run a full back ground check" I finished. It was a stupid reason to run one, but I couldn't help but be curious.

Carlos gave another nod. "I did." He replied. I raised an eyebrow. "Well... what did you find?" I asked.

He let out a small breath. "Born August sixth in 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri to a Doctor and Mrs. Benjamin Monroe. She was an only child since the Doctor and his wife thought they were not going to be able to have any children. They stuck her in gymnastics when she was three. By the time she was six, she was performing professionally. She continued until she was sixteen. She then took a break and went to high school full time. She entered back into the professional world of gymnastics at nineteen." He stated.

"She got her high school diploma but not a college degree?" I asked. Not that there was anything wrong with not going to college, but I just pictured Ashley going to college.

Carlos nodded then continued. "When she turned twenty one, her parents bought her a Lamborghini LP 550-2 Spyder Convertible in cotton candy pink." He said and I swear I thought I shit my pants. Working at RangeMan I have made quite a bit of money but even I couldn't afford a Lamborghini. Who bought their twenty one year old daughter a Lambor-fucking-ghini!

"What the fuck?" I couldn't help but ask. I swear my cousin almost smiled. But it was gone so fast I couldn't be sure. "The night of her twenty first birthday, her and two friends went out in her new car. Her friend was driving and lost control of the vehicle. It was wrapped around a telephone pole." He said and I interrupted.

"Her friend was driving the car?" I asked and Carlos nodded. "I bet Ashley wasn't too happy with her." I commented.

I instantly regretted my comment when I saw the look on my cousin's face. I shut my eyes tight and waited for the bomb to drop. He didn't disappoint. "The friend that was driving was killed instantly when her head tried to go through the windshield. Her other friend in the back seat was thrown over a hundred feet before he hit the pavement. He later died with brain injuries that were too severe."

"And Ashley?" Tank asked because I couldn't. I felt like an ass. I bet Ashley was devastated at the loss of two of her friends.

"When the car hit the pole, Ashley was thrown over the windshield and landed on the side of the road. She had a broken arm, ruptured spleen, broken collarbone, and her shoulder was crushed." He answered.

"Which brought her gymnastics career to a screaming halt." I stated. Carlos nodded and the room became silent while we were all contemplating what Ashley had went through. And what she was probably still going through.

Tank broke the silence. "I agree with Ashley. I'm not sure it was Igor." He stated. I swiveled my head around to stare at him. Now why would he say that? Even though I completely agreed.

"What makes you say that?" I asked; voicing my thoughts. I didn't want it to be Igor. If it was, she wouldn't be alive for long.

"If she was in that wreck when she was twenty one and hasn't done any gymnastics since, then she probably hasn't been to Russia in the last three years or so." He stated.

I was still lost and apparently so was Carlos. "Explain." Carlos barked out.

"Igor lives in Russia and rarely makes any visits to the US, so Ashley going to Russia would have been the only way she could have come in contact with him. And if she pissed him off three years ago, he wouldn't wait three years later to kill her." He explained.

I nodded my understanding as I was quickly catching on. "And he wouldn't try to kidnap her or even rape then murder her. He would just kill her. One snipe and she would be gone. He doesn't care to play with his targets." I added. He really didn't. He would rather just eliminate his enemies so he knew they were dead.

"So Ashley was right. It was not Igor Stanislav." Carlos said.

"Then who was it?" Tank questioned.

"I don't know, but I could ask Ashley. You know... Ask her out and talk to her." I offered. My cousin turned to look at me and once again I found myself almost shitting my pants. He was pissed off. So I had a little competition when it came to the brown eyed gymnast. I was all for that. She was worth it. I gave him my innocent look and shrugged. "What?" I asked.

"Ashley will be here in about an hour." Carlos stated; ignoring my offer.

My eyes widen. "Why?" I asked and again not that I minded. I really wanted to see her. I just didn't want her coming here to see my cousin.

"I offered to teach her some self defense moves." He replied.

"So you're teaching her self defense?" Tank questioned. Carlos gave a slight shake of his head. "Why not?" He asked when Carlos shook his head.

"She didn't want me teaching her so I thought I would have Hector teach her." He answered.

I laughed. Maybe I didn't have any competition when it came to my cousin. If Ashley didn't even like Carlos than I wouldn't have to worry about anyone else. I knew from experience that my cousin and his superior good looks were my only true competition when it came to any woman. Not bragging, just confident.

"Why Hector?" Tank asked.

I knew why he wanted Hector to teach her, because he was gay. He wouldn't have to worry about Hector falling for Ashley or vice versa. But I was going to be the one teaching Ashley self defense not Hector. No matter what Carlos wanted.

"I just thought Hector would be the best choice." He replied. I snorted and got another deadly blank face.

"I think Lester would be the best choice." Tank stated and I felt myself smiling. I always knew I liked Carlos' second in command.

"Explain." My cousin managed to say through clenched teeth.

Tank grinned. "He's an excellent people person. He'll help her loosen up so she can focus on the lesson." He explained. "With anyone else, she might not be able to relax. If she's not relaxed than she'll never be able to learn anything." He added further.

Carlos took a deep breath and nodded. He looked at Tank. "Leave us." He ordered. Tank nodded and got up. He grabbed the folder on Ashley and walked out; shutting the door behind him.

My cousin turned to me. "Only warning, Santos. Stay away from Ashley." He demanded.

My eyes narrowed in anger and I shook my head. "Not gonna happen, Coz." I told him. He stood up and I did the same. We were about the same height so intimidating each other this way wouldn't work.

"I'm not gonna say it again. Stay away." He demanded once more.

"No. We all stayed away when it came to Stephanie. I for one am not giving you the same courtesy when it comes to Ashley." I stated. I liked her too much.

"Leave Stephanie out of this." He hissed at me.

"You need to get over this shit with her before you can move on. Leave Ashley alone. She doesn't like you anyway." I said. I knew it was a low blow but I didn't care. I wasn't standing on the sidelines so he could fuck with Ashley's mind too.

"I'm dealing with Stephanie on my terms. And I'm not backing off on Ashley." He warned me.

I nodded my understanding. "Then let the best man win." I stated before leaving his office.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I pressed the palm of my hands to my flushed cheeks; trying to make the redness go away and then I took a deep breath. Okay, so it was more like I was mediating or maybe going through Lamaze or something, but I couldn't help it. I had no idea why that man affected me the way he did, but I hated it.

Not even my own ex made me feel this way and we slept together! Okay so maybe I really sucked in that department or at least that's what Keith-my ex- continued to tell me over and over again. I suck at sex. So there was no way I could get involve with Ranger. Since a man like that was probably a sexual god in bed and there was no way I could even keep up. So why try? He would probably just break my heart anyway.

The best thing for me to do is focus on these self defense classes and my gymnastics. Remember that all men suck and are scum of the earth. If I continued to remember that than I'll be just fine. Or so one could hope.

Taking another deep breath, I pulled open the door to the RangeMan building and took a step inside. I was glad and a little surprised when I learned that RangeMan Inc was across the street from my hotel. I still wondered why Tank didn't tell me. I took a quick look around and noticed my surroundings. Wow! This place was nice and tastefully decorated.

I smiled at the man at the front desk and he blushed. Awww, that was sweet. When did a man this good looking blush? "Hi. I'm Ashley." I offered my name and my hand. He took my hand and grinned.

"Hal. Nice to meet you. Welcome to RangeMan." He said. Even though it all came out so fast it sounded jumbled together but I got it.

"Nice to meet you, too." I told him as I let go of his hand. "I'm here for some self defense lessons." I explained.

Hal nodded. "Yep, the boss told me. Let me get your instructor on the phone." He stated as he picked up the phone and hit a series of buttons. "Hey Les, she's here." "Yep." "10-4." He said before hanging up.

He smiled at me once again and I smiled back. He really was cute with his brown hair and hazel green eyes. Muscular too. Men suck, remember Monroe... Right, men suck.

I heard a door open then close and I turned around. I didn't realize my mouth dropped open until the man in front of me touched a finger to my chin and closed it. I shook my head and gave him a smile. I met this man several days ago, but if anything he looked better today. The other day at the gym he was dressed in black combat gear. Today it was a pair of sweat pants riding low on his hips and a white wife beater. The tank top didn't hide anything and all of his muscles were on display.

I shook my head slightly. Thoughts... go away. Focus on the man in front of you. Yeah, that was my problem. "Lester, right?" I asked. He nodded and grinned. Damn he was hot and he knew it.

"You would be right." He stated before pointing to my t-shirt. "I would have to agree with you there on some level." He said and I found myself looking down. I blushed. I should have paid better attention to what I had put on this morning. If I had I would most certainly not have worn a shirt that said, 'Good things come in small packages.'

"Thanks. It was a gift." I told him.

"With you it works and I do agree. But sometimes not all _things_ come in small packages." He said as he wagged his eyebrows. If anything I blushed harder. He laughed as he threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. "Come on, Gorgeous. I'm gonna teach you everything you need to know about self defense."

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for something different?" Lester asked me. We had been at this for almost two hours and I felt myself fading into nothingness. I had always consider myself in good shape but Lester had me doubting myself. We had just been doing simple moves like kicks, hits, and punches.<p>

He showed me several simple tricks on how to take out my attacker just long enough to get the heck away from them. So yes I was ready to learn a few more tricks.

I nodded. "Yes please." I told him; a little out of breath. I hope he didn't notice. Not that I cared. At least Ranger wasn't around.

He grinned. "You are in excellent shape." He complimented me. Yeah right. I raised my eyebrow in question and he started laughing. I wondered why he was laughing.

"I beg to differ, medio uno." I told him. His laughter ceased.

"Did you just call me mean one in Spanish?" He asked me; a grin on his face.

I nodded. "I did. You are whupping my butt. I haven't been this sore in forever." I said with a smile.

He sobered instantly and walked over to me. "Are you sure you want to continue? We can stop at anytime." He offered.

I shook my head. "I know we can and I don't want to. I'm fine I promise." I told him; hoping he believed me.

He arched an eyebrow and I couldn't help but grin. "What?" I asked.

He shook his head then wagged those eyebrows. "Whupping your butt, huh?" He asked and I nodded. "Well you do have one fine ass to whup, Miss Monroe." He teased and I couldn't help but laugh. Lester was a player and a good one. He reminded me of a friend of mine. That thought made me frown. I missed Brandon something fierce. I pushed that thought aside and focused on Lester.

"Okay, medio uno, show me whatcha got." I stated as I motioned my hands in a come get me motion.

He rolled his eyes and went to step behind me. "So you know Spanish, huh?" He asked. I watched him over my shoulder and gave a little shrug.

"I know a little Spanish but quite a bit of French." I told him.

He stepped closer to me and whispered. "Say something in French." He all but demanded.

"Que faites-vous?" I asked.

He growled low in his throat and I took a step away from him. That sound was hot and a little frightening all at the same time. He held up his hands in a surrender motion. "Sorry. What did you say?" He asked me with a smile in his voice.

I relaxed and stepped back to where I had been. "I asked what you were doing." I told him.

He shook his head. "That's all you said?" He wondered out loud. I nodded. "Damn Gorgeous, that was hot. Say something naughty." He asked of me. There was no way I was going to say anything naughty in any language to this man.

I shook my head. "Maybe another time." I said before turning to look at him over my shoulder. "What we are doing now?" I asked.

He gave another shake of his head before coming closer up behind me. "I'm going to wrap my arms around you from behind. Going with what I just showed you, I want you to get away from me. Okay?" He told me. I was glad he had let me change the subject. I didn't need to lead this man on. It would be wrong and distasteful. I really liked him, so I couldn't do that to him.

I nodded and fought down the panic that his words brought forth. His body brushed mine as his arms came around me. I fought back the wave of nausea that came over me. "Just remember everything that we've been going over and you can break this hold easy, okay?" He offered and I nodded.

His arms tightened around me and I struggled to keep my breathing under control. His arms were no where near as tight as my attacker's but the feeling of helplessness washed over me. I started screaming at Lester to let me go with tears streaming down my cheeks.

Sensing my distress, he let me go and I flung myself away from him and to the floor. He crouched down and reached out to me but I flinched. He drew back. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry. It's just me, Baby." He continued to talk to me, but I couldn't stop the tears.

I cried that night after it happened but I just pushed all those feelings back and away from my mind and my thoughts. I didn't like the way my attacker made me feel and I didn't want to think about it. When Lester's arms wrapped around me, all those horrible feelings came rushing back. The powerlessness, the vulnerability, and the pure fear my attacker evoked in me came roaring back full force. I didn't like it. I hated it. I hated that feeling of being afraid and not knowing if I was going to live. I needed to get over this. I needed to fight against it.

"Santos." Ranger's harsh voice broke through my thoughts and stopped Lester's words of sympathy. Ranger stalked over to me and pulled up and into his arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked me; his voice low and husky.

I nodded and pushed against him, but he refused to budge. "I'm fine." I told him. My face was buried against his chest and he smelled absolutely divine. The sensual smell of jasmine, rose and citrus brought out what could only be the manly scent of Ranger himself. His smell alone almost brought me to an orgasm. I realized I needed to get the hell away from him.

I gave him another push only this time putting my weight behind it. It was enough to dislodge his warm embrace and I backed away. I gave them both a smile. "I'm fine." I said once more.

Ranger closed the distance I had just put between us. One of his large hands cupped my hip and other one cupped my face. "When a woman says she's fine, it usually means she is anything but." He commented. His thumb brushed my lower lip and a tremor went through me. A slight smile came across his face and I frowned. I wiggled out of his embrace and it was his turn to frown.

I shook my head. "No I really am fine. I promise." I told him. Even though I knew I was lying.

He nodded. "You sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'm sure." I told him, but I wasn't. I felt scared. I didn't want to leave this gym, this building, or these men that made me feel so safe.

* * *

><p>Remember...please leave reviews.<p> 


	5. Smells

Smells

Lester's POV-

"Santos, my office." Carlos barked out at me as he passed my cubicle. I frowned. Okay, this seemed awfully familiar. Didn't we just do this three days ago? I shook my head and got up. Carlos had yet to make it to his office so I just followed him into his office. He sat down behind his desk and I sat across from him in the same seat I did three days ago.

"New information?" I asked him. I really had no idea why he wanted to talk to me. Unless of course this had something to do with Ashley. If it did, I knew exactly what this was about.

He sat up straight with his hands folded in front of him. "What's going on with Ashley's self defense training?" He questioned. I should have known that this conversation was about Ashley.

"What do you mean?" I responded with my own question. I knew I shouldn't play dumb because he would call me on it. Since I had a feeling he had been watching the cameras while she trained for the past three days. I know I would have.

"Don't play stupid, Santos." He countered back. I let out a sigh and nodded. I knew I had been caught. But I also knew that my cousin would now take over once I told him what was going on.

I shrugged. "I don't know, Coz. She's doing a fantastic job. I can come at her hundred different ways from Sunday and she can easily take me down. Hell, I quit letting her a while back. She's good." I told him. And she was. Unless I came up behind her.

"Then what's the problem?" He asked.

"I can't come at her from behind. She flips every time. She'll have trouble breathing, she struggles, and she eventually ends up screaming at me to let her go. Nothing I do or say seems to calm her enough to teach her how to defend herself from behind." I explained. It was eerie. It was like she completely shut down when anyone came up behind her.

"Have you let anyone else try it?" He questioned.

I nodded. "You know I have. Don't play stupid with me, Coz. I know you've been watching the security feed." I called him on it.

He sat back in his chair and nodded. "I know Hal, Hector, and Woody have all tried. Anyone else?" He asked me.

I shook my head no. "Just those three." I answered.

"Why those three?" He wanted to know.

I shrugged. "Hector because that's who you were going to use in the first place. And when she first met him, she wasn't scared of him so I thought I would give it a try." I explained my reasoning for Hector. Ashley not being scared of Hector stunned me a little. Most women are scared shitless of Hector simply because of his gang tattoos. Ashley was not.

"She hit it off with Hal. She claims he acts like a big brother would if she were to have one. Hal likes her too and he has a girlfriend so I thought no pressure there for either of them." I explained Hal. She lasted the longest with Hal, but she eventually broke down with him too.

"And Woody is that small town country boy that everybody loves. She liked him just fine and was even able to take him down as long as he came at her face to face." I stated. "Woody had barely gotten his arms around her and she panicked." I added. And she did. I thought Hector would have been the shortest but nope it was Woody. He had felt terrible but she assured him it was nothing to do with him. She just couldn't do it. She had left shortly after that. Upset and shaking.

"And what do you think is the problem" He asked me.

I shrugged. I really had no idea. She was fine with all of us until we got behind her. Then went into a pure panic mode. She couldn't handle any of us behind her. I was just hoping that me or my big mouth had nothing to do with that.

"Have you asked her out?" He asked me. Damn, it was like he knew what I was thinking.

I nodded. "I asked her to have dinner with me the second day of our self defense lessons. She politely refused." I told him. She was the cutest little thing. When I asked her to dinner she blushed this light pretty pink color then pulled her delectable bottom lip in between white even teeth. She then asked me if this was a date and when I told her yes she politely told me no.

Carlos smirked and I wanted to punch it off his face. "Did she tell you why?" He questioned.

I nodded. She did. "She said she didn't have any romantic feelings towards me. She thought I was cute and sexy, but she felt no chemistry." I explained. "So I kissed her." I added. My cousin's eyebrows went way up and he frowned.

"You did what?" He barked at me. He loves to bark. Maybe he was a dog in another life. I grinned. A stubborn old pit bull or maybe one of those yippy little yorkies.

"Relax, Coz. Kissing her was a good thing." I told him and if anything his frown deepened.

"Explain." He ordered.

I shrugged. "What's to explain? I gave her a small kiss and she was right. No chemistry between us." I told him. Which I hated to do because I knew he would move in and hope for the best.

"How is that possible?" He wondered out loud.

I gave another shrug. "It just happened that way." I told him. I didn't know how it was possible. She was hot, sexy, sweet, beautiful, and really flexible, but there was nothing there. Now normally this wouldn't stop me. In fact I've had sex with plenty of girls where I felt nothing for them. Or felt nothing with them, but still fucked them because they were hot. Ashley would have been one of those except for three reasons. First reason was because she really was a sweet girl and I didn't want to risk hurting her. Second reason was because of everything she had just been through and last because if I fucked her then dumped her, she would want nothing to do with Carlos. And while that thought kind of appealed to me, I would never do that. Family always came first. But mainly she was hurting already and really vulnerable. Only a complete asshole takes advantage of a girl like her being that vulnerable. Unfortunately for me, I was not that much of an asshole.

He nodded with a smug look on his face. I knew that look. He was going to move in. Hopefully she turned him down but if not I was okay with that. She deserve a little happiness and after everything that my cousin had been though he really deserved it too. I did the only thing I knew how. I offered her to him.

"Why don't you try to teach her a little?" I offered. His eyes widened. Yeah I was shocked too but my cousin had some of my charm so maybe it would work.

He recovered quickly and nodded. "I'll try with her this afternoon. You can go on my take down." He told me. I nodded. He pulled out a folder and handed it to me. For the next couple of minutes we went over this simple take down of a skip we had been trying to locate for awhile. However my mind was on my little black book. Who could I call tonight? I grinned. I bet Maggie wasn't busy. Yep, I was in for a long night.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

Was I happy that Ashley told Lester he had no chance? Without a doubt. Even though she told him a little nicer, I was still glad she did. It made moving in so much easier for me. But first I had to get Ashley over whatever she was going through so she could learn to protect herself when attacked from behind.

I knew she would be arriving in under ten minutes so I was headed down to the lobby now. I was hoping to catch her before she even left her hotel. Just for her safety I would walk her over to RangeMan. For her own safety or at least that was what I was going to keep telling myself.

I waved a hello to Hal and walked out the door. Jogging across the street, I greeted Ashley coming out of the hotel.

She was chewing on her bottom lip and her brown eyes were wide. I almost frowned when I caught sight the dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well and I wanted to kill the son of a bitch responsible with my bare hands.

"Hi. Is the lesson still on?" She asked softly. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and I couldn't resist tucking a wayward strand behind her ear. I noticed a small tremor go through her slight form and I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my face. She may not feel anything with Lester but she couldn't deny the chemistry between us.

I nodded. "The lesson is still on. I just wanted to walk you over so we could talk." I explained. My hand was lingering at the side of her neck and she took a step back. I wanted her to be able to relax around me but she was so jumpy. I was hoping that had something to do with me and not with what had happen to her.

She nodded and licked her lips. I mentally groaned at the sight of her small pink tongue. "Okay. Thanks." She said. We started to walk across the street and I noticed both of us taking our time. I hated that I came over here to walk her across the street so I could talk to her, but was unable to say anything. I just wasn't sure how to start the conversation. I wanted to know how it became that she started to perform gymnastics on a professional level. Or why she moved half way across the US to live in a hotel in Trenton, New Jersey. Was she going to be staying here permanently or just for a short time. Or how about what was going on between her and Erik. So when did the badass mercenary become tongue tied?

She finally broke the silence. "Where's Lester? Is he okay?" She asked. I should have known she wouldn't just let that alone. She was the type of person to want to make sure that he was okay.

"He's fine. He went on a take down this afternoon. I'll be giving you your self defense lesson." I told her. I watched as her breathing hitched and her eyes widen. She liked the idea at the same she did not.

"Oh okay." She replied as we got to the front door at RangeMan. I opened the door for her and she stepped in with a smile.

"Hi Hal!" She greeted one of my best men. He gave her a smile. "Hi Baby Girl." He replied. I noticed that when one of my men referred to Ashley, they always called her either baby girl or gorgeous. Both of which Lester started. Both names applied to her, but I wanted to use something different and Babe would not work.

She walked up to Hal circling behind the desk and gave him a hug. She had to reach up quite a bit, but Hal lowered himself to take her in his arms. I found myself wanting to tear her away but stopped myself. Instead I took in her outfit of choice. Her lean legs were uncovered today as she was just wearing a pair of pink yoga shorts that barely covered her adorable ass. Her small upper frame was encased in another barely there tank top. This one was gray in color and said, Gymnastics Badass: Deal With It. I often wondered where she shopped, for she was always wearing the funniest t-shirts.

I walked to the elevator and cleared my throat. She said good bye to Hal and joined me. "You don't wanna take the stairs?" She asked me. I was shocked for about a second when I realized this was not Stephanie. Ashley enjoyed working out. In fact sometimes I thought she was worse than me.

I nodded and gestured toward the stairs. "Of course." I told her. This way I could ask her a couple of questions. We entered the quiet area of the stairway and started up the steps. I decided to go with the least non personal question.

"What made you start doing gymnastics?" I asked her.

She let out a little sigh. "I was an only child and my parents didn't want me to form an attachment to them or any other person." She answered. I kept my blank face in place, but it almost slipped. What parent would want that? My parents were the most loving people I had ever known. I couldn't imagine anything different when it came to them.

"Why is that?" I couldn't resist asking.

"They loved to travel and I was never allowed to go with them. They considered me more of a burden than a daughter. That was until I started gymnastics." She stated.

"How did gymnastics change that?" I asked.

"From the moment I started when I was three, I was a natural. I took to it like a fish to water. I loved it. The teachers would show me something and I would perfect it quickly. When I was six, my parents entered me into a local talent contest that I won. After that they entered me in anything they could. I fought them for a while but found it a lot easier to just give in then to argue." She answered honestly; sounding extremely tired.

She had went through quite a bit for being so young. But she didn't sound bitter about it, just honest. I admired her for that and I found myself wanting to know more. Unfortunately we reached the third floor door. I opened it and ushered her ahead of me. She gave me a small smile and entered. She looked around then turned to me with a frown.

"Where is everybody?" She asked.

I closed the door and followed her in. "I told everybody to stay out of the gym for at least an hour. I wanted it quiet for this lesson." I told her.

She went back to chewing on that lip and nodded. "Why?" She asked so low I almost didn't hear her.

I placed my hand on the small of her back and gave her a small push in the direction of the middle of the gym. "Lester explained to me that you were having trouble with someone attacking you from behind. I'm going to try to get you over that." I told her. "And I needed the gym quiet so you could concentrate." I added.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." She said; her voice shaking. I walked up to her so we stood face to face. Once again taking in those dark circles. I touched a finger to her cheek lightly. "If you tell me to stop at anytime, I will. Understand?" I needed her to know that. She nodded again. "Thanks." She replied. I ran a fingertip down her nose which she crinkled. I gave her a smile. "De nada." I replied.

She kicked off her shoes and went to stand in the middle of the mats. I smiled slightly. She was ready to get started. Good girl. I took off my shoes, my utility belt, followed by my shirt. She watched as I removed each article of clothing. When I reached behind me to pull off my shirt, she swallowed and closed her eyes. I chuckled softly.

Her eyes flew open to meet mine. I smiled and she actually smiled back. "I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed, okay." I told her. She nodded and her eyes slid shut. I was hoping that I was far enough away that I wouldn't interfere with this experiment. "Now, I want you to take a deep breath and tell me what you smell." I told her.

I watched as she slowly inhaled and then exhaled. "The gym." She said. "What does the gym smell like?" I asked. She inhaled again. "Men, sweat, hard work." She replied. I nodded. I expected that answered. "Now take another deep breath and smell what else is there." I told her. She did it again and grinned. "I smell Lester." She said and I frowned. Why the hell did she smell Lester?

"What do you mean you smell Lester?" I asked.

"I smell his cologne like he was just here." She replied. If she could still smell Lester's cologne and I knew he hadn't been here since early this morning, I was going to have to talk to him about it. That could give him away when he was on a take down.

As I asked her to do it again I walked closer to her. "I smell Hector and Woody too." She answered. I stepped closer again keeping my footsteps light. "Take another deep breath and tell me what you smell." I told her.

She took a big breath and I saw this sweet smile grace her face. "You." When she answered that along with that smile, I felt my heart clench tight. I couldn't keep the smile out of my voice. "What do I smell like?" I asked.

"Sin." She muttered and I chuckled. She blushed and I laughed a little harder. She kept her eyes close but shook her head. "Did I really just say that?" She asked. I took another step closer. "You did." I told her; my voice husky. I cleared my throat. "Now what do I smell like?" I asked again. I couldn't let that answer get my mind off the task at hand.

She took another breath. "Your shower gel. Or at least that's what I think it is." She replied. It was my shower gel as I didn't use any cologne or aftershave but I wanted to know how she knew that.

"Explain."

She swallowed. "It smells like you but it doesn't hover. It blends it with your unique smell. So it's on your skin not floating around you." She explained to me. That I understood and she was right.

"What else?" I asked as I took another step towards her. I was now right behind her, but I was not touching her. I wanted to be sure if there was anything else she smelled, I wanted her to tell me.

"Just you." She replied.

"Now, by smell alone, knowing that you are here in the gym around my men and that no harm can come to you, how does that make you feel?" I asked hoping that I received the right answer.

"Safe." She replied. I felt a weight lift off my chest at her answer. I didn't even realized that weight was there until it was gone.

"Good." I told her. "How does my smell make you feel?" I asked; wanting the same answer.

She took a deep breath and smiled again. "Safe." She said. I felt this warm feeling come over me at her answer. I liked it at the same time I hated it. I didn't want to have any feelings for another woman that was only later going to leave me for a fucking cop.

I took another step and it brought me so close I was brushing against her. She inhaled sharply but remained still. "Go back to that night and think about what you smelled. Remember only the smells and nothing else." I told her.

She remained quiet for several minutes and I watched her body language. She was re-living that night in her mind and it was scaring her. "Peanut butter and chocolate." She said quietly. She squeezed her eyes tight and inhaled again. I saw her relax immediately after and realized what she had done. She was losing herself in the fear of that night so she smelled what was around her and it calmed her. She was a fighter. A survivor. "There was a musky smell." She spoke again.

"What kind of musky smell?" I asked. "Like body odor musky or cologne musky?" I added.

"A cologne musky. It had small undertones with it." She commented and I wondered what that meant.

"Okay. What else do you smell?" I asked.

She inhaled again and answered. "Cinnamon. But it was after he talked so it had to be his breath." She shook her head and swallowed. "How come I didn't remember any of this after or heck I didn't even think about it when it happened." She commented. I moved against her deliberately and she jumped slightly.

"Sometimes when going through something like that your mind isn't focused on the small details. Other times other senses overpower any other." I told her. She nodded and I continued. "I want you to push the chocolate, peanut butter, musky, and cinnamon smells from your mind. Focus on the smells around you. I'm going to wrap my arms around you and with what Lester has taught you, I want you to break my hold. Understand?" I said as I took another step closer to her. I was completely up against her from our feet to her head.

Her breathing started to come faster and I bent down to whisper in her ear. "Control your breathing, Sweetness. You're okay." I told her. I didn't know where the endearment came from. It just slipped before I could stop it, but her breathing calmed almost instantaneously. She took a deep breath and nodded.

I crouched before slowly wrapping my arms around her; my left arm around her waist and the right coming around to circle her neck. My hold was gentle against her since I didn't want to scare her. As her breathing became slower and less fearful, I tightened my arms. I focused on the lesson and ignored the fact that my cock was twitching, throbbing, and jumping as I held this woman in my arms. She smelled so good like ginger, vanilla, and sandalwood. How those smells together worked, I didn't know, but it did on her.

All of a sudden her elbow made contact with my solar plex, not hard enough to seriously hurt me, but it got my attention. My grip loosened but I didn't let go. Her right foot then stomp on my bare toes and I jerked back; releasing my hold on her. Again she didn't seriously hurt me but she got the point across. When she realized she did it, she began to jump up and down.

"I did it! I did it! I did it!" She yelled over and over with smile on her face. When I smiled at her she came running to me and threw her arms around me. I had to crouch down so she could but the squeeze she put on me was so worth it. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She told me over and over; her lips against my neck.

She pulled away and gave me a smile. "Can we try it again?" She asked. I nodded and she turned around. We did it several more times before she finally collapsed on the mats in a fit of laughter. I dropped down beside her and relaxed my arms on my bent knees.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked her. I was actually happy to see her laughing. Her whole face just lit up and her eyes got darker when she laughed. It made me want to know what her eyes would look like glazed over while in throes of an orgasm. Okay, so I thought about that all the time, but I was a Latino and an alpha male. It's been known to happen.

She shook her head. "I just can't believe I finally did it. I've been working on it for days and had no luck. One hour with you and I did it." She explained. She looked over at me with a smile. "Thank you, Ranger." She said. Those little words and I wanted to kiss her senseless. Instead and with every ounce of control I had I gave her my 200 watt smile. "It was my pleasure." I told her. And it was. I was glad that I was the one that got her to over come that fear. It showed her trust in me.

She stretched her arms above her head which made her shirt rise to show a hint of stomach. She was lightly tanned and just the sight of her bare skin, my cock start to twitch again. I reached out and placed the flat of my hand on her tummy and she froze. The sexual tension between us swirled around the gym and I found myself leaning towards her.

She swallowed hard and jumped up; taking care to put as much space between us as possible. I wasn't deterred from that. I wanted my mouth on hers and I wasn't going to let it go. I stood up and followed her. She turned around and when she found me directly behind her, those big brown eyes went wide. It was then I noticed she had the longest eye lashes. I continued to step towards her until her back hit the wall. I placed a hand on either side of her head; blocking her in.

Her breathing hitched and I smiled. "Control your breathing, Sweetness. You're fine." I told her; repeating my words from earlier. She pulled that sweet bottom lip in between her teeth and worked on slowing her breathing. I took my thumb and placed it on her bottom lip. She went stiff as a board and waited. She blinked those dark eyes up at me. I hated the bruises shining under her eyes; showcasing her lack of sleep.

I ran my thumb back and forth across her lower lip. "I wanna a taste." I told her softly before lowering my head. She nodded her head slowly before my mouth covered hers. I brushed my lips against hers once then twice before touching the tip of my tongue to the seam of her mouth. When she didn't open to give me access, I nipped that sweet lower lip and she gasped. I slipped my tongue inside to run along her teeth before slipping in to tangle with her tongue.

Her hands came up and grabbed at my belt loops on my cargoes. I slipped one of my hands underneath her tank top and caressed her bare skin. Her breathing was becoming faster and I felt myself respond. I moved closer so my body was touching hers at the same time I brought the kiss to a higher level. She whimpered as she brought her hands up to run along my chest.

I heard the door to the gym hit the wall before I heard the voice. "Oh shit, Boss. I'm sorry." I recognized the voice instantly as Ram's. Ashley jerked away from me and I step back. He had the worse timing, but at the same time as I was grateful for the interruption. In another few minutes I would have taken her against the wall of my gym. I took a deep breath and faced her. She was flushed and clearly aroused as her small nipples puckered against her top. I gave her a smile and she smiled back before bolting from the gym.

* * *

><p>Later That Night-<p>

It was late when my cell phone began to ring. Since it was 0100 hours, I knew this call was important. I was only contacted this late when one of my employees was hurt or a very important client had a break in. I was hoping for the latter.

"Talk." I barked into the phone.

"Boss, sorry to call so late." It was Ram. After what happened today in the gym, I was a little surprised that he would call me. I had scared the shit out of him after Ashley bolted. I guess punching a wood door would do that. "We just dispatched Manny and Zero to the Hatch's Gym." He told me and my heart rate sped up. But it was late so Ashley was probably already in her hotel room fast asleep.

"The place went dark again ..." He paused and took a deep breath and I knew it was coming. "Ashley was in the gym, Boss. She's still there." He stated. Shit.

"10-4, Ram. Police been notified?" I asked trying to keep my control.

"ETA is ten minutes." He replied. I told him my ETA and hung up. Before I could control myself, I flew out of the bed and dressed quickly. Hoping like hell that Ashley was safe.


	6. Need

Need

Ashley's POV-

I can't believe he kissed me. I can't believe I let him. But then I guess no one lets Ranger do anything. He's one of those men that do what they want and when they want. And they never had to ask permission. I touched the tips of my fingers to my mouth. His lips were soft but firm and they weren't too full or even too thin. They were perfect. The kiss was perfect. I had been kissed dozens of times before but never like that. He kissed like a dream. I had never been so turned on in my life.

I was so thankful to Ram for interrupting when he did. Another couple of minutes I would have begged Ranger to take me against the wall. In his gym, no less! I've never had sex against a wall, much less in a public place. Good heavens, what was I thinking? I shook my head. That was the problem. I hadn't been thinking. Well I was thinking about what it would be like to have sex with Ranger and that kind of thinking was crazy. And it would get me into serious trouble. Men like Ranger didn't go for girls like me. And that's exactly what I was.

A girl who has only ever slept with one man. I snorted. That man was my ex, Keith and he never wanted to have sex anywhere but the bed. We tried to have sex on the kitchen counter one time but I was too short and so was he. When I suggested sex against the wall, he told me I was too big and that I could hurt him. He was taller than me standing about five foot seven, but he had muscles so I didn't understand his reasoning. However I do remember this one time he tried to carry me up a flight of stairs, he almost dropped me. He was complaining to began with, but I doubt he would have pretended to drop me so he wouldn't have to carry me. That was crazy.

I bet Ranger was plenty experienced when it came to pleasing a woman in bed. And I bet he was use to women being able to please him. I snorted again. Keith wouldn't let me touch him in bed. I wasn't allowed to explore his body and he never tried to explore mine. Sometimes I wonder why I was even with him. Oh yeah because he was a family friend, my parents loved him, and he was my coach. The one person I always thought I could trust and count on. How stupid and naive I was.

Feeling myself start to shake, I snapped out of my thoughts. Erik was standing in front of me, his face in front of mine, his hands on my shoulders and he was shaking me. Not enough to rattle my teeth, but enough to get my attention. I focused my eyes on his and blinked.

"What?" I asked pulling away from his shaking hands.

"Damn Angel Face. I have been calling your name for almost ten minutes. You were just standing there with a dazed expression on your face." Erik told me.

I blushed. I had completely forgot what I had been doing. I was standing at the end of the mats. Several feet in front of me was the vault that I was getting ready to throw myself at. I had let that man once again creep into my thoughts and I forgot what the heck I was doing.

"I'm sorry, Erik." I told him. He waved his hand as to brush it off and smiled at me.

"Which one?" He asked and I couldn't help but be a little confused.

"Which one what?" I questioned.

Erik chuckled. "I'm assuming that your thoughts is on a certain man. So I'm assuming once again that it is either Ranger or one of his men. But what I want to know is which one?" He explained.

I curled my lip in disgust. "Ranger." I answered honestly. That man had the power to turn me into a drooling mess and I hated it.

Erik nodded. "I thought as much." He replied.

My eyebrow went up in question. "How would you know that?" I asked. I haven't told anybody about the feelings I was harboring for one dark haired, dark eyed Cuban hottie.

Erik ran his finger down my nose and grinned. "He seems the type to get what he wants and he wants you." Erik replied. He what? He does not! There is no way a man like Ranger could want me. No way. Erik had to be out of his mind.

"You're out of your mind." I told him instantly. He shook his head and I rolled my eyes. "Okay fine. What makes you think that he wants me?" I asked. I almost choked on the words.

"The way he looks at you, Angel." Erik replied. I narrowed my eyes. I didn't think he looked at me any differently than anybody else. So what did Erik see that I didn't.

"What way is that?" I asked him. He had to know, right. After all he's the one that noticed it.

Erik bent down to look straight into my eyes. My own eyes widen at what I saw. Heat, passion, and a little bit of sadness. "The same way I look at you, Angel. Like he wants to strip you to down to nothing, throw you on these mats and have his wicked way with you." He replied.

My mouth dropped open and I didn't know what to say. I had no idea that Erik felt this way and I really had no clue that Ranger felt that way. Erik may feel that way, but I seriously didn't think that Ranger did.

I shook my head. "Erik, I had no idea you felt that way." I said as I started to chew my bottom lip. I looked around the gym and found that most of the people here had left and only one heavily muscled man remained besides Erik and myself.

Erik smiled. It was a sad smile. "You were young, Angel. I was much older than you. My moral code wouldn't allow me to touch you back then." He admitted to me. I didn't understand. Yes I was younger than him, but Keith was so much older than Erik.

"Keith was older than you. So why wouldn't your moral code allow you too?" I asked still confused. I didn't feel that way about Erik, but I just didn't understand.

Erik's eyes went dark at the mention of Keith and he frowned. "Keith was a perverted ass. He was your coach since you were twelve and the moment you turned eighteen, he moved in. He was like family and what he did was wrong. Especially after your accident. What the hell was that man thinking?" Erik spat out.

I shrugged. I really didn't know. I thought it odd at the time, but I never questioned it. Maybe I should have. If I had maybe I wouldn't be in the position I was today. But I felt bad about Erik. I just didn't feel that way about him. I shook my head. "I don't know, Erik. But you do know that I.." I trailed off; not completely certain how to phrase what I was going to say.

Erik pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tight. "No worries, Angel. I know you aren't into me like that and I understand that. I also appreciate your honesty." He replied; saying my thoughts out loud.

I relaxed into his embrace and hugged him back. All of a sudden the gym went black and Erik's arms tightened around me. I whimpered when they became painful and he cursed. "I'm sorry, Angel." He said to me before loosening his grip and calling out.

"Yo Harley."

"Yea." I heard a deep voice call back.

"Where are you at?" Erik called out once more.

"Right here." The deep voice stated but so much closer to us. Before I could react, Erik thrust me away from him and I hit a solid chest. A different pair of arms came around me and I stiffened.

"Don't worry Angel. I trust Harley with my life so I know I can trust him with you." Erik stated and quite loudly.

"Okay." I said and I felt Erik's presence leave. I then felt a warm breath against my ear and I shivered. "He's right. You're safe with me." Harley reassured me and I felt myself relax. Feeling Harley's solid presence against my back, I reminded myself to thank Ranger again. I was grateful to Ranger for getting me over my fear of having a man behind me. I inhaled thinking of Ranger and his voice. Several smells hit me and I immediately identified lemon, cedar, and sage.

"Dolce and Gabbana." I found myself saying out loud. Harley's arms tightened and he bent down so his breath once again feathered over my ear.

"How did you know that?" He asked.

I shrugged. I really didn't know. I had always been able to identify smells since I was little. I really never thought about it but Ranger's self defense lesson had brought it front and center in my thoughts.

Even after I left Ranger's building, I went down to the local mall and started smelling different colognes. I wanted to know what cologne my attacker had been wearing but so far I had come up empty. It was driving me crazy. I knew his smell from somewhere and he smelled strangely familiar.

"I don't know, but am I right?" I asked him.

He chuckled. "You are right." He told me; his breath still fanning across my ear. "The cologne was a gift from an ex-girlfriend." He said as I could barely make out the flashing lights that pulled up in front of the gym.

I couldn't help but laugh. "She had good taste." I replied back.

"She did." He agreed. "With men included." He added; his voice teasing.

I knew what Harley was doing and it made me feel good. I was glad he was trying to keep my mind off of what was going on around me. "I would agree, Harley. But why is she the ex-girlfriend and not the current girlfriend?" I asked him.

His nose nuzzled the back of ear. "I found someone else I wanted." He whispered with a smile in his voice. I rolled my eyes and turned in his arms. He wouldn't loosen his hold and I wondered if Erik's words had something to do with that. I pushed against his chest, but he didn't budge.

"You are a flirt, Mr. Harley." I told him. I could barely make out his silhouette in the dark and I watched as he threw his head back and laughed. I found myself laughing along with him. He most certainly was a flirt and I found myself relaxing and feeling safe in his arms.

Harley's laughter cut off abruptly when the front door of the gym opened and closed. He pulled me tighter against him and backed up. The front door opened and closed once more and Harley called out.

"Erik?" Harley's voice echoed throughout the quiet gym.

No one answered back and I could feel Harley's grip slowly tighten. I knew he was aware that it wasn't Erik that entered or left the gym. My heart started to speed up and I began to breath faster as I started to panic. I wiggled against Harley trying to break his hold on me and once more found his breath against my ear.

"Calm down, Sweet Pea. I promise no one is going to get to you." He assured me and I nodded. I tried to focus on anything in the gym but it was too dark. I inhaled deeply and only Harley's scent was there. That gave me some relief, but I still hated that I couldn't see who was in there with us.

All of a sudden, the bright lights of the gym came back on. It was only then that I felt the tension in Harley leave and his hold loosened. I turned around and came face to face with several cops and several employees of RangeMan including the boss. I met Ranger's eyes and backed up when I find rage and anger. He was one scary man when he was pissed off.

Erik came back into view when he came around the sea of men. He walked over to Harley and myself and pulled me out of Harley's arms and into his. I hugged him back. "You okay?" He asked me. I nodded against his chest. He pulled back and framed my face with his hands. "Are you sure?" He asked again.

I smiled. "I'm fine. I had Harley." I reassured him. Harley stepped forward and I felt his body heat against my back. His hand settled on the back of my neck and I turned around.

He gave me a grin. "Yeah, she had me. She doesn't need your stinkin' ass." Harley told Erik.

I rolled my eyes and turned to face Erik; looking around him. The cops and RangeMan were talking amongst themselves and that was when I remembered. "What happened, Erik?" I questioned. Why did it go dark? Was it just a coincidence or was my attacker behind it? I shivered. I hoped he wasn't.

"Someone cut the power to the alarm system. When he did that, the power went out." Erik explained. So it probably was my attacker.

"How is the power on now?" Harley asked.

"Back-up generators. They should have came on automatically but for some reason they didn't." Erik replied. I began to chew on my bottom lip and watched the cops and RangeMan. I hated this crap and it was all my fault. If I could only figure out who was behind this then it would all go away.

I felt a finger touch my chin and then I was looking into Erik's eyes. "Not your fault, Angel Face." He told me.

I nodded. "Okay." I agreed with me, but I knew it was my fault. If I knew who my attacker was then all of this would be over. I hated this. Having to look over my shoulder was getting old. I wanted to continue on with my life. I knew I was never going to the Olympias but that didn't mean I couldn't perform. I wanted to perform.

"Looks like we're about to have some company." Harley stated and I looked up. Sure enough, Ranger was making his way over to us; his dark eyes on me.

"Good, maybe he'll have some information for me." Erik replied.

Ranger made his way to our group and addressed Erik first. "The TPD is combing the area. They said they would call if anything was found. I have my employees going through the footage. Maybe this guy let his face show on camera." Ranger said to Erik who nodded in return.

"The wires were cut?" He made into a question and Ranger gave a slight nod of his head.

"Whatever he used, it sliced right through it." Ranger told him.

Erik nodded. "Damn. I thought as much." He replied. "Just let me know if you find anything." Erik told him. Ranger nodded again and turned to me.

"Got a minute?" He asked. I nodded. "Give me just a second." I told him and he nodded.

I turned to Harley and smiled. "Thank you, Harley." I told him.

He cup the back of neck and drew me to him. "Anytime Sweet Pea." He pulled me into a hug. "If you need anything, you call me." He told me. I nodded and pulled away. "Erik's got my number." He added. I smiled again. "I'll do that." I told him. He leaned down and brushed my mouth with his before pulling away. He tugged on my hair and walked away.

I then faced Erik. "Thanks Erik." I said and pulled me into his arms.

"You okay?" He whispered into my ear and I nodded. "I am." I told him. I was still feeling light headed from putting everyone in this position but I was pretty sure I was okay."If you need anything, you call me. Understand?" He stated. I grinned against him. "I will." I agreed. "If you want Harley's number, I'll text it to ya." He said, but this time he didn't whisper it. I knew he didn't for Ranger's benefit. I wanted to slap him. I am not a violent person, but I seriously wanted to slap him.

I pulled away from him and gave him a glare. He laughed and planted a kiss on my mouth. "Anything, Angel Face." He said once more before walking away. I turned around and came face to face with Ranger. He had this look upon his face that made me think he wasn't happy. Of course one of his clients did just have a break in.

"What's up?" I asked trying to sound casual. I hated the way this man made me feel. Like I was going to self combust at any moment. I didn't want to even be alone with him because I was afraid I might jump him and screw his brains out. I knew I was blushing at the thought of having sex with Ranger and I lowered my eyes and shook my head.

"Did you walk here?" He asked me his tone curt. I snapped my head up and frowned.

I nodded. "I did." I told him. Why did he sound so upset? Did he blame this on me? I knew it was my fault, but I didn't really want Ranger to think that. I didn't know why but his opinion of me meant a lot.

"You wanna ride?" He asked me.

I bit my lip and shook my head. There was no way I could manage being in a confined space with Ranger. "No thanks. I'm gonna walk." I told him. His eyes narrowed before he nodded.

"I'll walk with you." He said and my eyes widen.

Still chewing on my lip, I shook my head. "No that's okay. It isn't that_." I stopped talking mid sentence when Ranger's thumb came up to rest on my bottom lip.

"Quit arguing. I'm going to." He all but ordered. I nodded and involuntarily my tongue came out to lick my lips and it caught Ranger's thumb. His eyes darken to almost black and his thumb swiped across my lip. "Get your stuff." He said; his voice rough.

I swallowed hard and nodded. I walked around him and grabbed my bag. We walked out of the gym and started down the side walk with Ranger gripping my elbow. He still seemed awfully ticked off and I hated the tension that was coming from him. It made me feel on edge. I wanted to say something to him, but I didn't know where to start. I really hated the way this man made me feel. But at the same time I wanted more of it.

"You gonna call him?" Ranger's voice came out low in the night.

I glanced over at him, but he was facing forward and his expression was unreadable. "Call who?" I asked. I really didn't know. Of course I would call Erik. I needed to train some more. Oh he must mean Harley. "Do you mean Harley?" I questioned.

His eyes slid over to me and then back. Was that a yes? I shrugged. "I don't know. If I ever need him, I might. He was nice and helpful." I told Ranger.

I swear I thought I heard Ranger snort, but if he did he didn't give any signs. "You won't need him." He stated quietly but forcefully. I didn't know what he meant by that, but Erik's words came to mind. What if Ranger did want me? I glanced over at Ranger again and shuddered. There was no way I could handle that. This man screamed sex and I was no where in his league.

"Do you think the cameras caught anything?" I asked; changing the subject. I was hoping the cameras did.

"I'm sure they did, but whether or not it's helpful is something else." He answered.

I let out a sigh and kept quiet. I didn't know what else to say. He made me feel awkward. I didn't like that either. I'm a gymnast. I have never been awkward.

"Do you have any idea who this guy is, Ashley?" He asked me. His tone was one of concern not accusation.

"I don't know. I've been trying to think of who it could be. His scent smells so familiar, but I can't place it. I don't think it's my ex's but then again I don't know." I told Ranger.

"Ex?" His tone held that word in a question.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "He's my ex fiancee." I acknowledged. If anything the tension in Ranger went up a notch and I almost stepped away, but I knew I was safe with him so I didn't.

"What happened?" Ranger asked.

I let out another sigh. My hotel was still quite far away so I knew I would have to explain, but I didn't want to. Maybe I could get out of it. "It's kind of a long story." I told him hoping for the best.

"Not going anywhere." He stated. Well hell, I guess I'm not so lucky. Fine.

I took a deep breath. "Keith was my coach. He became my coach when I was twelve. He taught me almost everything I know and he was always there for me. When I turned eighteen, he went to my father and expressed his interest in dating and marrying me. So we dated. I felt comfortable around him but at the time I didn't love him."

"He's older than you." Ranger interrupted.

I nodded. "Almost ten years older. He was twenty one when he became my coach." I said before continuing. "When I turned twenty one my parents bought me a car for my birthday. I hated the car and I didn't want it. They insisted. My friend Janie, she was another gymnast but her life wasn't as easy as mine. She wanted to drive the car so I told her that was fine. I didn't mind. Janie and me were in the front seat while Brandon sat in the back. She lost control of the car and hit a telephone pole. None of us had our seat belts on. A mistake. Janie was killed instantly and Brandon died of brain injuries four days later." I stopped and tried to swallow back the tears.

It never failed. I couldn't think or talk about Janie or Brandon without tearing up. I doubt I ever would. I lost my two best friends that day and several more following them.

"It wasn't your fault." Ranger stated and I smiled over at him.

"Thanks. It is hard sometimes not to blame myself since it was my car, but I have finally come to terms that it wasn't my fault." I admitted to him.

He nodded and I continued. "The doctors told me that if I had been wearing my seat belt I probably wouldn't have survived. I came out of it with a broken arm, ruptured spleen, broken collarbone, and a crushed shoulder. No more gymnastics for me. I was pissed off and upset and blamed the world. Keith kept pushing me and pushing me. My parents watched my every move. They acted like they was afraid I might kill myself or something. I was tired of being suffocated. When I suggested to them and to Keith that I was thinking of going into coaching little children, they assumed that I was still grieving and that I would change my mind."

"Did you?" Ranger once more interrupted.

I shrugged. "I did. I really love performing in front of people. I love them cheering when I'm done and that silence of the crowd waiting to see what's going to happen. So yes I wanted to go back to gymnastics. So Keith helped me. We did physical therapy every day from sun up until sun down. I had never worked so hard for something my whole life. The day of my doctor visit, I was so nervous. When the doctor told me that I was ready to actually start practicing to go back out there and perform I was stoked. I was elated. I was on top of the world. That was the beginning of this year."

"So three years before the doctor said you could go back?" Ranger questioned.

I nodded in the dark. "It was three years before I was ready." I admitted.

"What happened?" He asked quietly.

"Keith happened." I stated before taking a deep breath. "We took the practicing slow. I didn't want to over do anything. I was scared. Heck, I was terrified of screwing up." I admitted. "After several months I finally decided to go for the bars. I love working the bars. It's dangerous and exciting and it is my favorite. I got up there and went to do a tap swing which is basically swinging in a circle and the pain that went through my shoulder was so crippling that I immediately let go of the bar and fell to the floor." I said to Ranger as I glanced over at him.

I knew he was listening intently so I continued. "I waited for a week and tried again. The pain was too much. I was devastated and Keith was too. My parents were and heck my whole team was. When that happened it got me to thinking again and I decided to start teaching gymnastics. When I told Keith he went crazy on me. I had never seen him so upset before. He didn't hit me not but I thought he was going to." I shook my head and took a deep breath. "His behavior threw me for a loop. It didn't make any sense. So I went to an old family doctor and he examined me. I was shocked and still am at what he told me. He said I should have never ever have gotten back up on those bars. My shoulder hadn't completely healed. After three years I didn't get it. He said that I had put too much stress on my shoulder. And because I went back on the bars before I was ready, I would never be able to complete in the Olympics."

"Doctor misdiagnose you?" Ranger asked.

I shook my head. "Keith paid him to lie so I would go back to competing professional." I told Ranger.

He stopped abruptly and faced me. I stopped and faced him. "He paid your doctor to lie?" He asked me.

I nodded. "He did."

"Did you report it?" He questioned.

I shook my head. "I never did. I went to Keith when I found out, he went absolutely crazy. He stormed out and I packed. My family doctor recommended Erik's gym to recuperate so here I am." I told him.

He nodded and we continued walking. "So are you going to become a coach?" He asked.

I nodded. "I will eventually and probably in Erik's gym if I accept his offer." I told him. "But I want to perform for a little while." I admitted.

"Perform?" He questioned.

"Professionally but only the floor and the beam. Maybe the vault." I told him.

He nodded as we came to stop in front of my hotel. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a secluded area beside the hotel. He put my back to the wall and closed me in with his palms on either side of my head. He bent down until we were eye to eye.

"I wanna know a lot more but you look dead on your feet." He said and I nodded.

"Thanks. I am tired." I told him.

He brushed his mouth against mine. Before I could stop, my mouth opened and his tongue slipped inside. I moaned as it caressed the inside of my mouth. It caressed, teased, and aroused. He pulled away and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

He held out his hand. "Phone." He demanded. My eyes narrowed in confusion but I handed him my phone. He hit several buttons before handing it back to me. I placed the phone in my bag and looked back at Ranger.

He got nose to nose with me. "If you _need_ anyone, call _me_." He ordered. I did mean he ordered it. His voice left no room for any argument. I nodded and smiled. "I will. Thank you." I told him. Who could resist Ranger? I was finding out that I could not.

He led me back to the front of hotel, gave me another kiss, and then he was gone.

* * *

><p>I slid into between the soft sheets of the hotel bed and let out a sigh of relief. I was so happy to be in bed and clean. I was so sweaty when leaving the gym. Of course hard work would do that to you.<p>

I couldn't believe I told Ranger everything. He didn't seem like he blamed me for the accident or for being stupid and trusting Keith. I really liked Ranger. He seemed and even acted tough, but he had a soft side. Although I would never say that to him. Even though I really liked him, I needed to tell him to stop kissing me. Even though I seriously enjoyed it. He kisses like a man possessed, but so perfect. We were just two different people in two totally different worlds. It would never work.

I woke up disoriented and I felt weighted down. I just had this feeling that I knew something wasn't right. I opened my eyes and came face to face with a pair of ice blue eyes that were filled with anger, rage, and hatred. I went to bucking and screaming and he quickly covered my mouth. I couldn't see his face, but he had blond hair and those eyes would remain etched in my nightmares.

I continued to buck, kick, and arch any way I could to detach this man from me. He was holding my arms tight to the bed above my head with just one of his. I tried to bite the hand that was covering my mouth but came up short. Tears came to my eyes when I realized that he was going to kill me. I didn't want to die.

He then adjusted his hand and I was able to bite down hard on his index finger. He screamed in pain then back handed me. My head snapped to one side and my vision went a little blurry. I closed my eyes as more tears came and took a breath. I had to get out of this. I had to get out of this.

"Вы тупоумная шлюха. Прекращенный двигать и я сделаем эта быструю." He spat out. It was then I noticed that he had a thick accent. I didn't recognize it though. I was too scared. I was going to die. That scared me something fierce.

I took another breath and smelled musk and cinnamon. It was his cologne and it smelled familiar. Again I didn't know.

I started to panic as the man ripped the buttons off my top. He was going to rape me and then kill me. More tears spilled down my cheeks. I knew I couldn't give up. When he went for my pants, I arched hard and it dislodged him. He fell to the side and I scrambled off the bed; grabbing my phone. I ran to the bathroom hitting the green button on my phone twice.

My attacker grabbed me from behind and yanked me to the floor. I kept the phone tight to my ear hoping he wouldn't see it. He flipped me over and crawled on top of me.

I heard the sweetest voice ever as it came over the phone. "Ashley?" Ranger asked just as my attacker grabbed the phone and threw it.

Tears streaming down my cheeks, I screamed. "Ranger!" Hoping he was still on the phone. My attacker once more slapped me and my world went dark.

* * *

><p>You stupid whore. Quit moving and I will make this quick.<p>

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Please leave a review..love them!<p> 


	7. Trust

Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry this took so long to get out. We had a lot going on this week. But for my readers this chapter is over 7,000 words..So Enjoy and Review!

Trust

Ranger's POV-

"What should our next step be?" Tank asked me. I really didn't know. This guy was truly getting braver. He went after Ashley with other people around with no concerns of getting caught. I wanted Ashley where I could watch her and keep her safe.

"I think she should move to Haywood." Santos stated. I glanced over at my cousin and raised an eyebrow. If he wanted Ashley under RangeMan's roof so he could have a chance at her, he was seriously mistaken. He shook his head. "Look Coz, I'm good and satisfied." He said with a smug smile. I had thought he had gotten laid recently and it looked as though I was correct.

"I just think with this guy making a move with others around, that she'll be safer under the security of RangeMan." Santos added. I had to agree with him. With Ashley staying here at Haywood we all could keep a closer eye on her.

"Then we could either take her to the gym or walk her there ourselves." Tank stated. Another good point. I didn't like that she was walking to and from the gym. Her stalker could easier grab her and no one would ever know.

"Now, how do we convince her to move to RangeMan?" Lester questioned.

Tank chuckled. "That would be the million dollar question." Tank replied. I wouldn't say a million dollars but close.

I just arrived back at Haywood after walking Ashley to her hotel. I jogged back to the gym and grabbed my Porsche and then high tailed it back to RangeMan. When I arrived both Santos and Tank were in Tank's office going over the security footage. Unfortunately Ashley's stalker was careful not to leave any trace of himself behind which included any video of his face and his finger prints; according to the police. He worn a dark hooded sweatshirt and what looked like dark sweat pants. On his feet were every day tennis shoes. He gave us not a clue to his identity.

"Does Ashley have any idea who this guy could be?" Lester asked.

I shook my head. "She doesn't. She said it could be her ex-fiancee so I'm going to do a back ground search to check this guy out." I told them. Her ex was a piece of work who needed to have a certain appendage ripped off and shoved down his throat.

"Damn Coz. What the hell is that look for?" Lester asked.

I turned my attention to my cousin and frowned. So much for my blank face. I raised an eyebrow in question. Better to play dumb than admit I lost my blank face. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you're thinking about showed on your face. Give it up, Range Man. Your blank face isn't going to save you this time." He told me; a smile on his face.

I could have continued to play dumb, but they would eventually find out so I might as well tell them. Besides the information I had could very well protect Ashley in the long run. I went on to tell them everything Ashley confided in me about her ex. I hated telling her secrets but in this case, I had no choice. She had went through quite a bit in her young life. When I finished explaining, two of my best men were radiating anger.

"He bought off her doctor." Lester stated in complete disbelief. I gave a slight nod. "He could have seriously put her out of commission. For the rest of her life." He added with a little fury to his voice.

I gave another nod. "He actually did. Even though she still performs professionally, she's not able to compete in the Olympics." I informed them.

Tank's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What's the difference?"

"Performing professionally is televised and you win awards but it isn't the same or as high a honor as the Olympics." I tried to explained.

"So the bastard took something precious away from her." Santos commented and I nodded. He did exactly that.

"He's a coward. We should pay him a little visit." Tank suggested. I thought the same thing and believe me, it was hard not to do just that. It wouldn't take but one afternoon of our time and he would be a new man.

I shook my head. "We need to concentrate on Ashley for now. Once I know she's safe then we'll pursue other options." I told him. By other options I meant kicking Keith's spineless ass. He needed to be taken down a notch or two.

"Like Ashley and that very big man in the gym. Who was that man, by the way? He planted a very familiar kiss on her mouth." Santos asked with a grin on his face. I scowled and it only made him laugh.

"Doesn't matter who he is. He won't be a problem." I replied. That only made Santos laugh harder. But I was speaking the truth. The muscular fighter would not be a problem. He wouldn't stand in my way.

Tank joined Santos in laughter and I cleared my throat. Both men looked my way and I gave them my blank deadly face. They sobered after a minute and I relaxed. Yep, I still had it.

"She believes her attacker is familiar." I told them.

"How so?" Tank asked. That I wish I did know.

I gave a shrug. "She's not sure. She just said he smelled familiar." I answered.

Both men gave me looks of confusion and disbelief. "Smelled?" Santos replied. "Like what?" Tank asked. Both at the same time.

"She described the smell of musk and cinnamon when around him. And that it smelled familiar to her. But she couldn't place the smell." I explained.

"Any ideas?" Tank asked me.

I shook my head. I wish I had an idea of what it could be, but I didn't. All I knew is that it had to be his cologne. "All I know is that she said it was his cologne and not body odor." I told them.

"And that it was familiar to her?" Tank clarified. I once again nodded.

"So she does know this guy?" Santos asked.

"She has to if his smell is familiar." I said as my phone began to ring. I looked at the window and it was unknown number but I knew right away it was Ashley. A bad feeling washed over me as I told my employees to shut up and I answered it.

"Ashley?" I questioned. I wasn't entirely sure, but I knew it was. There wasn't a sound just heavy breathing. Then I heard a clunk followed by a scream. It _was_ Ashley and she was screaming my name. My heart began to pump its way out of my chest as I stood up and motioned for Tank and Santos to follow me.

Jogging out of my office, my blood began to boil slowly through my veins as I heard flesh hitting flesh and then Ashley whimpered. That small noise clenched my heart tight as I realized what this man was doing to her.

Running down the steps of the RangeMan building, Tank and Santos right behind me. "What the hell is going on, Carlos?" Santos asked me. I couldn't form the words. We were right across the street from Ashley's hotel room, but it felt like a thousand miles away.

I could hear the man's voice speaking in another language that sounded like Russian. His accent was thick too, but something told me he could speak English if he wanted to. Since I didn't speak Russian, I hadn't a clue at what he was saying.

I entered the lobby and motioned for Hal. "Hal." I barked out expecting him to follow us. He immediately dropped what he was doing and ran behind us. We left the RangeMan building and I looked up at the hotel in front of me. I had no idea what room she was in.

"Boss, what the hell is going on?" Tank bellowed as he continued to run behind me.

"Ashley's in the hotel with her attacker." I told him as I once more heard the sound of flesh striking flesh. Tank's speed kicked up a notch as we entered the hotel lobby.

I hit the front desk hard. "Ashley Monroe. What room?" I demanded; shouting and leaving no room for argument. She took one look at my face and stuttered out room 103. We took off once more in a dead run. Room 103 was only several hundred feet from the front desk. Blood boiling, fists clenching, and heart pounding, I kicked down the hotel door.

The room was completely empty except for the small body curled up in a fetal position in front of the bathroom door. It was dark and I couldn't make out anything else. "Tank, clear the room." I ordered as I turned on the light. I inhaled sharply when I caught my first sight of Ashley.

Stalking over to her, I took in her bloody face and hands; which were curled against her face. Her feet and legs were bloody as well. Her clothes were almost torn from her body. I heard Tank shout an all clear as I crouched down next to Ashley.

"Is she breathing?" Santos asked softly. I couldn't tell by looking at her. She was stock still. Too still. I reached out a hand to touch her neck and she came alive. She began to kick, scream, and punch out at me. "Ashley." I said as her small form lunged at me; crying and screaming. "Ashley." I tried once more but to no avail. I didn't know what to do or what to say to make her calm down to look at me. I took her wrists gently in my hands and she hissed in pain.

"Ashley." I tried again, but she only continued to kick, punch, and scream. Her words were ones of pain, sorrow, and pure terror. Her clothes were in tatters around her tiny body; showing her perfect breasts and the small patch of hair between her strong thighs. She was bleeding from a split lip, her nose, a gash on her forehead and several cuts in her arms and legs. I wanted to roar in outrage at her battered body.

I gently pulled her wrists behind her back which brought her nose to my chest. All of sudden, she stopped struggling. She took several deep breaths and whispered. "Ranger." The word was barely spoken, but in the quiet room with Tank, Santos, and Hal standing behind us, it was loud and clearly heard.

"Yea Sweetness, it's me." I whispered in ear. She started to jerk on her wrists so I let her go. She wrapped her arms around my neck and brought her lean legs around my waist. I sat down on my ass and cradle Ashley against me. Her nakedness was becoming well known to my body and mind, but her trembling against me made me realized that she needed to be covered. I didn't want her naked and vulnerable when the police arrived. I pulled back and she fought to stay against me; her breathing ragged.

"Control your breathing, Sweetness. I'm right here." I reassured her. I pulled away from her and yanked off my shirt. I barely got my shirt over my head when Ashley's little body slammed up against me. This wouldn't work. I needed to get her torn clothes off her body and my shirt over her head. I knew the police would want her clothes and I didn't want to contaminate anything that would be helpful.

"Lester." I called to my cousin. He instantly crouched in front of me and behind Ashley.

"How can I help?" He asked me; his voice serious and full of concern.

"I need her clothes off so I can put my shirt on her." I told him. He immediately went to work on her destroyed pajamas. She began to struggle, shake, and tears continued to fall down her cheeks. Lester leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It's just me, Baby Girl. You're safe I promise." He continued to tell her over and over as he started to ease the pajamas off her body. She clawed at my bare chest and cried. Repeating over and over 'don't hurt me'. My heart ached. "Sweetness, we're not going to hurt you. We just want the pajamas for the TPD." I told her. She stopped struggling against us but she continued to cry.

I glanced around the room and saw that Tank was on the phone with the Trenton Police Department and Hal was at the window, looking around. Lester finally got her shirt off and we slipped my shirt over her head. As soon as it fell into place, I pulled her into my arms. The only way to described what she did was that she literally crawled into me.

This was a completely new experience for me. After everything Steph had been through, she was never the clinging type. She shook it off and kept on trucking. She acted like she never needed anybody after anything she had been through. I glanced down at the small woman in my arms. She was crying, shaking, and hanging on to me like a vine. I felt rage at what this woman had been through. Did he rape her or just beat her? I hated to find out.

As Ashley continued to shake and tremble, Lester pulled off his long sleeve button up RangeMan shirt. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "She's cold. I'm giving her another shirt." He replied as he grabbed her wrist. She once again hissed in pain. "Is that wrist broken?" I asked Lester. He gingerly began to feel around the small bones and shrugged.

"It doesn't feel broken, but I can't be sure." He replied.

"Call Bobby. Something tells me that he's gonna have to be here." I told him and he nodded. He finished putting his shirt on Ashley; which was no easy task as she continued to cling to me. He stood up and got on the phone with Bobby.

Blood flowed from the wound in Ashley's head as she shook hard in my arms. I glanced around me to try and find something to stop the bleeding. Hal noticed and walked over to us; whipping off his shirt as he did. I raised an eyebrow but was grateful when he pressed his shirt to the gaping wound in her head.

I gave a slight nod of my head in a silent thanks and he nodded back. I took over at pressing his shirt to her head. "Go check the perimeter. See if you can find anything. It's apparent that the TPD didn't do such a good job earlier." I stated and Hal nodded then left.

"Speaking of which, TPD is on their way." Tank said as he glanced at the window before walking over to us. "The glass has been cut. That's how he got in." Tank told me and I nodded. Ashley was still crying and shaking but her tight grip around my neck had loosened.

Since I was unable to see her face, I was going to assume she had fallen asleep. I needed to get up. "Tank, can you take her? I need to get up." I whispered softly as to not disturb Ashley.

He walked over to me and placed his hands underneath her arm pits. I removed the shirt from against her head and Tank went to pull her away from me. I was sadly mistaken if I thought Ashley was asleep as Tank went to pull away, she went ballistic. Her fingernails dug into my arms as Tank continued to pull her away from me.

The look of Tank's face was one of dismay and sadness. He hated putting her through this, but we had no choice. I needed to stand up before TPD arrived on the scene. I hurried to my feet and Tank handed Ashley back to me. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face against my neck. She then wrapped her legs around my waist and held tight.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and once more applied Hal's shirt to the gash on her forehead. I ran my fingers through her hair and whispered soft words of Spanish in her ear. Her soft center was pressed against my bare stomach and I could feel something sticky and wet where her thighs were rubbing against me. I had an awful feeling that he had accomplished what he set out to do. The violent tremors that were racking her body were slowly becoming light shakes.

"She's losing a lot of blood, Boss." Tank stated. I looked down where I could see her legs and she indeed was. Tank pulled off his shirt and went to wrap around her right leg where blood was oozing from another gash. What the fuck had this man done to her? Was she going to be okay? I wasn't sure if she ever would be.

We finally heard the sirens in the distance and I felt relieved and tense all at the same time. I didn't know how Ashley was going to react to talking with the police or even if she would allow the EMTs to check her out.

"Has she said anything?" Lester asked as he re-entered the room.

I shook my head. Besides her screaming, she hasn't. I was almost apprehensive about asking her any questions about what took place in her hotel room this evening. If this had been Stephanie, I wouldn't have been. I would have simply asked if she was okay and went on from there. For some unknown reason, I didn't want to know what took place here in this hotel room.

I could hear voices outside of Ashley's hotel room as Lester stood guard at the door. "What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"A crowd has gathered outside her room." He replied. I frowned. I didn't like the sound of that. I didn't want anyone seeing Ashley in this state. She was vulnerable, hurting and in shock. She didn't need for others to see her like that. I was going to do whatever it took to protect her from here on out. I shook my head. I didn't understand what the hell I was thinking. I was struggling with all these new feelings that were raging inside me.

* * *

><p>"Tank, I need to talk to her." I heard Detective Eddie Gazarra inform my second in command. Yeah, good luck with that.<p>

I was currently sitting in the back of the ambulance with Ashley still cradled in my lap. She was still clinging to me and flinched every time one of the paramedics came near her. She was no longer crying or shaking. She was relaxed in my arms, but she still wasn't talking. They all seem worried that she wasn't responding to any of their words and I was beginning to.

"She's not talking to anyone right now, Detective." I heard Tank respond. I couldn't see either one of them, I could only hear them. I could however see the two paramedics that were talking quietly amongst themselves. The woman pointed towards us and said something. She was talking so fast that I was unable to read her lips. The man looked at what she was pointing to and nodded. They separated and the man began to walk towards us.

I watched as he stepped up in the ambulance. He nodded at me as he grabbed something out of the one of the drawers. He turned towards me and grabbed Ashley at her waist and began to tug. "We need to examine her fully, Sir." He stated as he began to tug. I felt Ashley's arms tighten around me as she began to shake once again and it only made the paramedic tug harder.

"Stop." I demanded of the EMT. His hands stilled at my voice and he gazed at me.

"She needs to be checked out." He told me as he started to pull on Ashley once more. She commenced screaming and crying once again and I growled at the paramedic.

"Let go." I barked at him. He took another look at my face and let go.

"Sir_." He looked as though he was going to say more but I cut him off.

"I'll have my company doctor look her over. Anyone can tell you have no remorse and I don't want you touching her." I told him.

He swallowed hard. "But she needs to be examined." He managed to stutter out.

I narrowed my eyes and his own widen. "I know she does and that is why my company medic who I can trust will check her out." I stated and he hurriedly got out of the ambulance. What a damn dumbass.

I went back to running my hands through Ashley's hair and whispering words of Spanish; hoping to calm her back down. Her fingernails were digging in my skin and I knew if she had scratched her attacker at all, my DNA had ruined any chance of them finding it.

I heard Bobby as he approached Tank and Santos. He asked where I was and then his head popped up around the ambulance.

"Boss, you need some help?" Bobby asked me. Did I ever? I needed someone Ashley was familiar with. And someone who she wasn't afraid of.

I nodded for him to hop in and he did just that. "They checked the gash in her forehead. It didn't need stitches. But there is several cuts on her arms and legs that need to be checked." I told him.

He nodded and grabbed a pair of latex gloves. I knew he would be gentle with her and she knew him personally from her self defense lessons at RangeMan. He hadn't worked with her, but she spent some time in his presence when around Santos.

"Did she say what happened?" He asked.

I shook my head. "She hasn't said a word." I replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "PTSD?" He questioned as he slowly came near us. Post traumatic stress disorder was serious and I was hoping that Ashley was just in shock.

"I'm thinking she's in shock." I responded.

He nodded and went to work on the cut on her leg. She never flinched and she never moved. He finished cleaning and bandaging the cut on her leg and went to work with the one on her arm. When Bobby tried to move her arm, her grip tightened and he immediately stopped. He then went to the next one and bandaged that one.

"These are not stab wounds. They're cuts. Like this one here." He stopped until I looked at whatever he was pointing at. It was a gash in her leg and there were purple bruises just starting to form around it.

I nodded. "He was holding something as he was beating her." I said; not quite sure if I was right.

Bobby shook his head. "I think it's a ring on his finger." He stated as he continued to work on her many cuts. She whimpered a few times but other than that she never moved. Bobby finished quickly and backed off. I was thankful that I had a medic in the company that was gentle, careful, and efficient.

"I need to check her over completely but we can do that back at Haywood." He said and I nodded. Yes we could.

"Tank." I called out. Tank came around the ambulance followed by Santos and Hal.

"Boss?" He questioned.

"Are they done searching her room?" I asked. I wanted to get Ashley out of here, but I wanted her stuff so when she did snap out of whatever she was in she would have it.

"Almost. Why don't you take her to the hospital and whenever they're finished, I'll grab her stuff and head back to RangeMan." Santos offered.

I nodded. Sounded like a plan.

* * *

><p>I stood up as Bobby walked out of my bedroom. He had been in there almost thirty minutes with Ashley who at the moment was past out with the help of drugs. When at the hospital, they wanted to perform a rape kit and Ashley wasn't allowing it. She continued to cling to me and would scream and cry if they tried to take her from me. I felt honored that she would choose me but at the same time I wasn't sure how to handle her.<p>

Should I continue to allow her to cling to me or push her away and make her realized that she's going to be okay. I had a feeling the first option wouldn't be healthy but I couldn't push her away. She was too vulnerable at the moment and I thought that was too cruel to do to her.

When the doctor finally finished doing the rape kit, he gave the police his findings but didn't pay the same kindness to me. That pissed me off. After all I was the one that brought her in and the one she was dependent on.

I just knew I was fucked when the doctor handed the results to none other than Morelli. If he handed them to anyone else, I knew they would have told me. Morelli I didn't think I stood a chance. I was wrong.

_*Flashback*_

_I deflated in an instant when I watched as the doctor handed the results to Ashley's rape kit to Morelli. The doctor said something and Morelli responded. I watched as they shook hands, said good bye and then Morelli glanced over at me. I had no idea what he thought he saw, but he started towards me._

_"Manoso." He said once he stopped in front of me._

_I gave a small nod. "Morelli." I replied back. I wasn't sure what he wanted until he began to open the paper of what they did find in front of me. He read a few lines before looking at me._

_"He didn't rape her." He told me and I felt taken back. I was so over come with this feeling of relief that I had to take several deep breaths. Agradezca a dios._

_I also didn't understand why he felt he needed to share this with, but I was grateful that he did._

_I nodded. "Thanks." I told him as I turned to go._

_"I also wanted to thank you." He said and I turned around._

_"Explain." I barked out. He frowned at my command, but I couldn't help it. I just hoped he wouldn't take it personally._

_"They found her torn pajamas in a pile on the floor. I'm guessing you had something to do with that." He stated._

_I nodded. "I put a t-shirt on her to cover what her destroyed pajamas would not. I didn't want to contaminate any evidence."_

_"I'll let you know what we find, if we do."_

_I nodded once more. He was being a completely different Morelli than I was use to. Even if it was throwing me off guard, I was glad. Because he was sharing with me, I felt I needed to share with him._

_"If you scrap under her nails, you're gonna find my DNA. She scratched the hell out of me when I found her." I told him; being up front with him._

_He nodded in return. "Robyn is in there with her now, doing just that. However I did talk to several paramedics and witnesses that confirm how she was clinging to you. They might want your DNA if it isn't already on file though."_

_Well at least I wouldn't have to worry about that. Maybe they would find something and this guy would be put behind bars. Now if I could only get Ashley to check back in after checking out._

_"I also wanted you to know that she had several self defense marks on her hands, wrists, and arms. Even a few on her feet where she probably kicked him. She put up one hell of a fight. But he was probably much bigger than she is, so she didn't stand a chance." He informed me.  
><em>

_Until he mentioned it I had completely forgotten that we were teaching her self-defense. It made me proud to know that she had fought back with everything she had, but it also came to my attention that we were have to step up her self-defense lessons._

_Once again it went through my mind that this Morelli was completely different than the one that I knew and was use to. I wanted to know why he was sharing this with me. Hoping it was going to bite me in the ass later._

_"Why are you sharing this with me?" I asked him._

_"You may try to hide behind that blank face of yours, but at this moment you're being very easy to read. You're invested in this girl. Don't let her go." He replied back._

_I honestly believed he was only telling me this so I would back off from Steph, but that ship had sailed. She would continue to go back to Morelli and I wanted my own woman. I wouldn't find that with Steph. However I wasn't going to share that with Morelli._

_"I'll keep that in mind." I told him. "If you need anything or have any questions, Ashley will be at RangeMan." I added as an after thought._

_"Eddie will probably come by tomorrow to take her statement. That is if she's up to talking to someone."_

_I nodded once more. We said our good byes and he left._

_*End Flashback*_

"How is she?" I asked my medic; snapping out of my thoughts.

He let out a deep breath and shook his head. "The hospital did a great job in patching her up. I cleaned her up and re dressed her in clean clothes. She's still completely out of it."

"Thanks Bobby, I appreciate it."

He nodded. "If you need anything, call."

"I will." I told him. We said our good byes and he left.

Ella had stopped by earlier and left dinner for not only myself but for Ashley as well. Maybe she would eat once she woke up. And since it was a fresh salad with chunks of grilled chicken breast thrown on top, I knew Ashley would enjoy it.

I grabbed my salad and a bottle of water, I settled down at the island in the middle of the kitchen. Now that I had a few more pieces of information, I had some things to think about. The man I heard over the phone was most certainly Russian. He spoke it fluently and his accent was thick. Something told me that he could speak English if wanted, but I had a feeling that if he did then Ashley would recognize him.

She first identified Igor Stanislav as the man in the gym, but once she got a closer look she recanted her testimony. But maybe he had altered his appearance enough where it even though it was him she just wasn't sure. I didn't have Igor's phone number but I did have his right hand man's. Misha Konstantin had been Igor's second in command for the last twenty years. They were always together as Misha protected Igor with his life. Just as Tank protected me with his. I knew if I called Misha I would get some much need answers. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, I knew it was the perfect time to call him.

After calling down to the control room and getting Misha's number, I dialed it.

"Здравствулте." He answered quickly.(hello)

"Misha Konstantin?" I asked.

He switched to English. "Who is this?" He asked; suspicious.

"Ranger Manoso." I answered.

He made a tsk sound with his tongue. "Well well well. And what did I do to deserve this call?" He questioned; clearly amused. He may be amused but I was not.

"I need to ask you a couple of questions." I told him. "Important questions." I added.

"And what do I get in return?" He asked. I resisted the urge to growl. I should have known he was going to want something in return.

"What do you want?" My voice was hard.

"That depends. What is this referring to?" He countered.

"Do you know Ashley Monroe?" I asked him.

"The sexy little gymnast?" His tone had lost all of his amusement.

I gritted my teeth at his description of Ashley, but I kept my mouth shut. "Yes that one."

"I do know her. Ask anything you want and I will take nothing in return." He said and it threw me off. He didn't want anything in return now that he knew Ashley was involved. Now why did that bother me?

"She was attacked tonight at her hotel." I started to explain but Misha interrupted me.

"Is she okay? Did you catch the guy? Do you need help in teaching the bastard a lesson? Or do you need me to kill him?" He rambled out the questions quickly.

"She's resting for now. He beat the hell out of her, but other than that she should be fine. We have not caught him but when we do I doubt we'll need help. Ashley has made quite a few friends here in Trenton."

Misha gave a warm chuckle. "She does that where ever she goes. She is an angel."

I had to agree with him, but I was starting to feel a little edgy. How did this man; this criminal know her so well?

"How did you meet her?" I asked him.

"Through my younger sister, Dasha. Dasha was but eight when she started watching Ashley compete in gymnastics competitions. Dasha was obsessed with Ashley and doing gymnastics. However Dasha had what they called velocariofacial syndrome or DiGeorge Syndrome. She had several mental and physical health problems so she was unable to do any gymnastics." He cleared his throat and continued. "One day, Dasha broke free from my hold at the end of one Ashley's competitions and ran up to her. Dasha had a speech problem too, so while she was trying to talk to her, I was sure Ashley was having trouble understanding her. But it didn't stop Ashley from communicating with her."

He paused so I asked a question. "So Ashley befriended your sister?"

"She did more than befriend her. After spending almost thirty minutes of her time talking with Dasha, she asked me what Dasha had and how could she help. I explained what Dasha was born with and how it affected her ability to perform the simplest of tasks. We eventually said our good byes and we didn't see Ashley until almost a week later. But when we did, I discovered that Ashley had researched my sister's condition and made a few notes. She asked my permission first, but I thought as long as Dasha was all for it then so was I."

"Ashley preceded to teach Dasha how to do a somersault, a cartwheel, and a back walkover. She worked with Dasha in her free time and she never complained about it taking her time. She had so much patience when it came to teaching her especially when Dasha would get mad because she couldn't get a certain move. The back walkover was the hardest but Ashley remained by Dasha's side every step of the way. And she never lost her temper."

He took another deep breath and something told me he was fighting tears. "When Dasha was twelve she took a turn for the worst. She insisted I call Ashley and even though I was scared that Ashley would be too busy to come see Dasha, I did. Ashley caught the first flight out to Kremlin, Russia where the hospital was at. She came to see Dasha; to talk to her. Ashley remained at Dasha's bed side until she passed on two days later. Ashley stayed with me and helped with the funeral arrangements and even did the eulogy. She was my rock through the loss of my only sister; hell my last living relative."

Misha broke off and I heard him blow his nose. Ashley was his only support through a hard and difficult time in his life. If I had been in Misha's position, I would feel the same way about Ashley and about protecting her.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your sister."

"Thank you. It has been almost four years but it never gets better. Now, what is it that you need to know. I'll do anything in my power to protect Ashley." He stated.

"I need to know if Igor Stanislav is in Russia." I informed him. Again that feeling of knowing he was still in Russia washed over me.

"Of course he is still in Russia. He is in his office as we speak. I just walked out of it when my phone rang." He said; confusion filled his tone. "What does Ashley have to do with Igor?" He asked.

"Ashley was attacked several days ago in the gym where she goes to train. They gave her pictures to sort through and her reaction to Igor's picture was indescribable. However once she got a better look she recanted that testimony. She doesn't believe Igor is the one that attacked her. I believe her but I need to explore all options."

"Igor is many things, but his loyalty is long. If you are loyal to him, he repays that in spades. Out of his loyalty for me, he would never harm Ashley. And she has never met him. Besides right now we are dealing with a major problem in Igor's family. He doesn't have time to leave Russia." Misha explained.

I thought as much but Misha's statement just confirmed it even more. Ashley had a crazy man after her and we had no clue who it was. But since the man was from Russia maybe Misha knew him.

"Do you have any idea who Ashley's stalker could be? He's from Russia. I have heard him speak Russian and he has a very thick accent." I explained my reasoning of why he would be from Russia.

"Manoso, I can promise you that if any mother fucka was stupid enough to cross me and mess with my little gymnast, they would be dead. Ashley is family and Igor and myself will protect her to the death." He informed me; his voice hard with anger.

I let out a small almost nonexistent sigh. I was losing my focus and I was beginning to lose my famous self control. Since he didn't know anything about her stalker, there was one more thing I wanted to know.

"Did you and Ashley ever get together?" I asked. I really didn't want the answer, but I knew I had to have it.

He chuckled again before letting out his own sigh. "I wish we had, Manoso. She may be several years younger than myself, but I was attracted to her. However she was my sister's biggest supporter and for that I held her as family. And family is untouchable." He explained.

I felt relieved. More so than I should have. "Thanks Misha. If I learn anything, I'll let ya know." I told him.

"I will extend you the same courteous. Give the little Angel my love. Have her call me."

I agreed that I would and hung up the phone. I knew that both Misha and Igor were into some heavy illegal activity, but when it came right down to it; I trusted him and what he told me. Igor was not Ashley's attacker. So if he wasn't than who was.

"Ranger." Ashley's small voice filled the warm kitchen and I turned around. She was standing there with a look of complete trust on her face and dressed in one of my black silk Armani shirts. Why Bobby put that on her I didn't know, but it came all the way to her knees. However I knew in that instant that Ashley needed me as much as I needed her. And there wasn't a chance in hell I would ever let her go.


	8. Family

Author's Note: Please forgive me. These past two weeks have been beyond crazy. Everything that could have went wrong..did. I'm hoping that this chapter along with any future chapters make up for my absence.

Family...

Ashley's POV-

Yawning, I slowly came awake. I took a deep breath and the smell of jasmine, rose, and citrus filled my senses. I took another breath and the next smell that hit me made me sag in relief. I burrowed down deeper in the soft sheets and softer comforter and inhaled. I was in Ranger's bed and I wanted to shudder in horror and in shiver in delight at the same time.

I wiggled deeper and stopped when I felt silk against my skin. I threw back the covers and looked down. I was wearing a black silk button up shirt and I knew it was Ranger's. Whose else could it be? I couldn't stop the feeling that came over me. The feeling only a woman can feel for a man; that pure pleasure of lust and in my case the unwanted case of lust.

It was then that I realized and remembered the night before. Taking a few deep calming breaths and counting to twenty five, the feeling of wanting to throw up disappeared. Ranger had saved my life. Ranger and the rest of RangeMan. I started to trembled and I fought against the tears but they won and began to spill down my cheeks.

I got up and walked to the bedroom door. I could hear Ranger talking but was unable to hear any other voices so I assumed he was on the phone. I turned and went into the bathroom that adjoined his bedroom. I took care of business and washed my hands. The whole time the tears continued to fall. I sat back down on the toilet seat and let the tears come.

All I remembered was the evilest of blue eyes and his smell. The smell of cinnamon and musk and I now knew it was cologne. His breath also smelled of cinnamon. The tears came faster as I remembered the feel of hands on me; ripping my pajamas and squeezing my breasts.

He was going to rape and then kill me and that frightened the crap out of me. I didn't understand why he wanted me. Not that I would want any body else to go through what he had put me through, but I just wanted to understand why he chose me.

Another tremor went through me as I grasped the concept that I knew this man. His smell was familiar. Those eyes were hauntingly familiar and extremely malicious. I knew him from somewhere I just didn't know where. I also didn't know why he wanted to hurt me.

I let the tears fall until I was completely cried out. I was shaking so bad I had trouble washing my face. I found a leather tie and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I washed my face once more and then finally looked up and into the mirror.

I let out a small gasp of shock at first sight but upon more surveillance I had to admit my face received the least amount of damage. I had a baseball size bruise on my cheek and upon lifting up my chin, I could make out the hand size bruises around my neck. I took a deep breath, choked back another on set of tears, and unbuttoned my shirt. There were bruises covering both of my breasts and several on my stomach. I had a pretty good size cut on my arm and two small ones on my tummy. I had more hand size bruises on my thighs and another good size cut on one of my thighs. My hands, arms, legs, and feet were covered in little bruises, scraps, scratches, and cuts.

I counted to almost hundred and took more deep breaths than I care to admit before the threat of tears finally went away. I had to get a grip. I was alive and relatively okay thanks to the man in the other room and his employees. I re-buttoned my shirt, took one last deep breath and walked out the bathroom. After several seconds I forced myself to walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Ranger was sitting at the island. He had a plate of food in front of him and his phone laid beside it. I took a deep breath and said his name.

"Ranger." He slowly turned to look at me and I prayed that I wouldn't launch myself in his arms. His eyes traveled the length of my body and I swallowed. I didn't know what he was thinking, and the look on his face wasn't helping me any since it wasn't giving anything away.

"How are you feeling?" He asked me.

How was I feeling? That was a good question. My body ached from head to toe, someone I knew attacked me and I had no idea if he raped me even though I was pretty sure he didn't, and I was scared he was going to try again and succeed. To top it all off, the current feelings I had for the man in front of me had me in shock. So since I didn't know what to say, I went with simple.

I shrugged. "I'm in a little pain, but okay I guess." I told him. Not the actual answer I was going for but it got the message across.

I watched as Ranger got up and motioned for me to come closer. "Come here and sit down. I'll get some aspirin." Before he could finish his sentence I was already in the chair he had just left. I made sure to pull the shirt over my legs and to keep those legs firmly closed.

He walked out of the kitchen and returned within minutes with two red coated aspirin. He handed them to me and gave me a smile. I smiled back as much as my face would allow. "Thanks." I said softly before popping the two pills. I winced when my throat protested and Ranger noticed.

"Hurt?" He asked as his fingertips slid down my neck. I couldn't stop the small shiver that went through me but I still managed to nod. I reached up and wrapped my fingers around the thickness of Ranger's wrist. I could feel his pulse jump when I gave it a small squeeze. His dark bedroom eyes met mine.

"Thank you for saving my life." I whispered.

He brought up both of his hands to slide along the sides of my neck and he brushed his thumbs over the bruises covering my throat. "We'll get the bastard who did to this to you, Ashley. I promise." He said before kissing my forehead and pulling me into his arms.

I snuggled against his hard warm chest and nodded. "I know you will." I managed to stutter out before I started choking. My throat hurt a lot more than I thought it did and Ranger knew it. He brushed another kiss across my forehead as his fingertips brushed the pulse at my neck. He then pulled away and went to moving around the kitchen.

The kitchen was filled with comfortable silence for a few minutes before the smell of tea filled the apartment. He looked so manly and masculine as he went about fixing the tea, I couldn't help but smile. I watched as he filled a cup with the sweet smelling substance then added a dollop of honey. He took a spoon and stirred it for a moment before bringing it to me.

"It'll help your throat." He stated and I took it with a smile. I took a small sip and the delightful taste of raisins, honey, and some kind of berry hit my tongue. I swallowed quickly and took another sip. It slid down my throat and it actually helped.

"This is really good. What is it?" I asked.

"It's a herb and fruit tea. My mother always kept it around for when we had sore throats." He answered.

I nodded and took another sip. It was really good and I found it moved down my throat so easily. "I like it. Thank you."

He nodded. "What do you remember?" He wanted to know what I remembered and I didn't want to remember.

I took another sip before answering. "I remember falling asleep easier than normal. I remember waking up with this feeling that something wasn't quite right. I remember his grubby hands on me. I remember the pain that exploded when I hit my head. I remember his accent and the ugly way he was spewing out words that I didn't recognize. I remember the smell of musk and cinnamon and I remember those cold blue eyes." I choked back another sob as it came up and took a gulp of tea.

"You remember quite a bit. More than anyone thought you would." He commented.

I looked up and wondered. Did he know? Did he get there in time? Was he able to stop it before it happened? I swallowed and winced when it hurt. I had to know. "Did he rape me, Ranger?"

Ranger's eyebrows went up then quickly return to normal. "You don't remember?" He questioned and I shook my head. "He didn't get a chance. He did some damage but he was unable to finish what he started."

I sagged in relief. I had a feeling he wasn't able to but I had to be sure. "I know him." I spoke quietly but Ranger still heard me.

"You know who it is?"

I shook my head. "I wish I knew who it was, but I don't. I just know that I know him. Everything about him is familiar. Especially his eyes and his smell." I explained.

I gulped the remainder of the tea and tried to keep the tears away. I swallowed until my throat started to throb. "His eyes are cold; so cold. It's almost as though you're drowning in an icy pool. He looks right through you as though he can see your fear. The evil and malevolent swimming around the icy blue depths make me want to throw up." I broke off and looked up at Ranger. "I'm scared, Ranger. I'm so scared. He's not finished, is he?"

Ranger crossed the kitchen in three strides and pulled me into his arms. "We'll find him, Querida. I promise." He muttered against my hair. I knew they would but when. Would he be able to finish what he started before they managed to arrest him? I tried to choke back the tears, but I couldn't. I began to panic as I had trouble breathing.

Ranger went to running his fingers through my hair. "Control your breathing, Sweetness. You're safe. Remember that. Here at RangeMan and with me, you are completely safe." He told me before switching to Spanish. He spoke it so fast that before I knew what I was doing, I was completely focused on his words. I wasn't that good at Spanish so it took me a minute to understand what he was saying. I pulled away and looked up at him.

"You're a very violent man." I stated. Not that I was scared of Ranger because I wasn't. But he had a lot of violent, brutal, and intense feelings towards my attacker. Not that I blamed him. In fact, I wanted to help and I hated violence.

Ranger looked momentarily shocked before he covered it. "You understand Spanish?" He asked me.

I gave a slight shrug. "I understand a little, but I understood enough to get that you want him to suffer and bad. But I'm not frightened. In fact, I wish to help." I assured him. I didn't want Ranger to think that I was scared of him or that I didn't want my attacker to suffer.

"What other languages do you speak?" He questioned ignoring everything I had just said.

"Just a little of Spanish and French. Lester knows. He asked me to say something in French to him and I did."

"What did you say to him?"

"I asked him what he was doing." I wasn't sure why we were having this conversation, but it continued.

"Say something in French." He requested.

I let out a sigh. What should I say? I smiled. I knew exactly what to say. I would always be grateful that he saved my life. "Vous avez sauvé ma vie. Reconnaissant pour celui. Je souhaite que j'aie eu le courage de vous embrasser." I said and he gave a small smile. I was suddenly scared that he knew French. I didn't know if I could survive if he knew what I said.

"Say the same thing in Spanish." He demanded. I took a deep breath.

"Usted ahorró mi vida. Soy agradecido para ése." I was sneaky since I left out the last part but I should have known I wasn't getting off that easy.

"You left out a part." Ranger stated and I felt my face heat up. He could speak French. Crap.

"What part?" I asked playing dumb.

He chuckled and pulled me closer. "The part where you wished you had the courage to kiss me." He replied.

I swallowed. "Did I say that?" I asked knowing I did.

He gave a 'I ate the canary' smile and nodded. "You did and you know it."

I did and I did. Crap. I wonder how much French he knew. "Quise solamente besarle en gratitud. Con eso dicha, usted me enciierran por favor y besan." I said and then waited.

I watched as he raised an eyebrow. I watched as another smug smile crossed his features. I watched as he then threw his head back and laughed. "Gratitude, my ass." He said before his lips settled over mine.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I always knew I had a reason to hate cops. They were a pain in my ass. As soon as I settled my mouth firmly over Ashley's, my phone rang. It was Tank and none other than Eddie Gazarra was in my building requesting to talk to Ashley. They didn't waste any time. For the most part I was appreciative, but Ashley had asked for that kiss and damn it I wanted it probably more than she did.

I still had a hard time believing she had wished she had guts to kiss me. Then I was unable to keep a straight face when she told me in French to shut up and kiss her. She was a little wildcat inside of a kitten's body.

I hated seeing her little body covered in bruises. And those cuts were even worse. She was lucky in the true sense of the word. The doctor said she was lucky. She came away with only a few cuts and bruises. She wasn't raped, she didn't have a concussion, and no skull fractures. She had a bump on the back of her head. I felt it when I threaded my fingers through her hair. Yes she might be lucky, but once I found out who her attacker was he was going to be the most unluckiest son of a bitch on the planet. I would make sure his death was painful and no one would ever find his body.

I gave a slight smile as Ashley glanced over me. She went to chewing on that lower lip and I could read the panic in her eyes. I walked into the kitchen and to the table where they were. I settled in the chair next to Ashley and her hand went to my lower thigh. She gave my leg a slight squeeze and even though I knew it was a silent thank you, my cock didn't. It jumped at the delicate touch of her hand. Her attention never left Detective Gazarra as she went to move her hand, I grabbed a hold of it and placed it back where it was. I squeezed her hand but didn't let go of it.

"Do you remember anything else?" Detective Gazarra asked her once more.

She was still chewing on that lip. I was going to have to break her of that. She was going to end up chewing it right off.

"Detective, I have told you everything I remember but I wish I could tell you more." She sounded forlorn and looked like she had lost all hope. I hated it and I wanted to fix it.

"Can you tell me why you thought at first that your attacker was Igor Stanislav?" Gazarra asked her. I was pretty sure he had already asked this question.

She shook her head. "He looked familiar I guess, but it wasn't him." She answered.

"Are you sure?" Gazarra questioned and I couldn't help but interrupt.

"I'm sure. I know Stanislav is in Russia." I confirmed. Both Gazarra and Ashley looked at me.

"How do you know that?" He asked me.

"I called Stanislav's right hand man, Misha Konstantin." I told him. I heard Ashley gasp next to me and my head swiveled in her direction. "What's wrong, Ashley?" I asked.

"You talk to Misha?" She asked and I nodded. She got really quiet for a few minutes then her eyes widen. "I know who it is." She said with shock.

"Who?" Both Gazarra and myself asked at the same time.

"Igor's cousin, Yuri. Or at least I think it's him." She stopped and looked up at me. "Can I call Misha?" She asked me. She looked almost delighted at the fact that she could talk to him, that I was unable to deny her.

I took out my phone and handed it to her. She dialed the number quickly. It perturbed me that she knew the number by heart, but I focused on the fact that she was with me and not Konstantin.

She smiled. "No Misha, it's me." She told him. I heard Misha laugh over the phone and Ashley's smile got wider.

She shook her head. "No Misha I'm fine. I promise." She stopped and I heard him say something. She went back to chewing on the lip. I took my thumb and pulled it out from between her teeth. I then remembered that Detective Gazarra was in the kitchen with us. I ignored him. His thoughts and opinions were not my problem. Ashley's eyebrows went up and I winked. She blushed and lowered her head.

"Misha, I have a question for you." She paused and I could hear him talking. "Is Yuri there in Russia?" She asked him. I couldn't hear his answer, but when Ashley went flour pasty white I knew the answer. She thrust the phone in my hand and went running out of the kitchen. She didn't have time to shut any doors and I could hear her throwing up in the bathroom.

I put the phone to my ear and almost winced when I heard Misha hearing some of the worse language I had ever heard. "Misha, what did you tell her?" I asked him. He said a few choice words before answering.

"Yuri has been missing from Russia for two months. We have been trying to locate him with no luck." He told me.

I didn't understand what that had to do with Ashley's attacker or why Ashley would think it was Igor's cousin.

"Why do you think Yuri is Ashley's attacker?" I questioned.

I heard Misha sigh. "Yuri has always had a problem with Ashley. We believe it is because he has a crush on her and he didn't believe she should be parading her body around in those leotards." He stopped and took a deep breath. "And he could be Igor's twin brother."

FUCK!

* * *

><p>Author's Note: More Soon! I promise! I'm sorry it took me so long.. FYI: Part of Ashley and Misha's conversation is not in there.. more in the next chapter.<p>

P.S. I got some of Ranger's shower gel for Christmas...WOW!


	9. Tank Talks

Tank Talks

Ashley's POV-

"Can I call Misha?" I asked. I was almost giddy about talking to my friend. I hadn't spoken to him in ages.

Ranger took out his phone and handed it to me. I thanked him before dialing the number quickly. I always knew his number and I would never forget it. He was family. And I missed him so so much.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face when he answered the phone.

"How can I help you Manoso?" He asked and I giggled.

"No Misha, it's me." I told him.

He let out a gasp of surprise. "My Angel, how are you? Manoso told me you were attacked. Are you badly injured."

I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. "No Misha I'm fine. I promise." I told him. I didn't want him to worry about me. I was fine with only a few bruises and cuts. My biggest concern was Igor's cousin, Yuri. I was almost sure that Yuri was the one attacking me. He always liked using Old Spice which smelled of cinnamon and musk. He also enjoyed chewing cinnamon gum. And his eyes were the coldest blue. I shivered thinking of those evil eyes.

I didn't realized I was chewing on my bottom lip until Ranger's thumb plucked it from between my teeth. I raised my eyebrows meeting Ranger's dark gaze and he winked. I felt my face heat up and I lowered my head. I focused my attention back on Misha.

"Misha, I have a question for you." I told him.

"Anything for you, My Angel. You know this." He replied.

I took a deep breath. "Is Yuri there in Russia?" I asked; afraid of his answer.

He let out a sigh of what sounded like frustration. "He has been missing for almost two months. We have been searching Russia for him but we have come up with nothing. Igor is losing hope."

I felt a shudder of terror go through my body at his statement. "I think he's here and I think he's my attacker." I said slowly. I didn't want Misha upset with me for any reason. He was family and I didn't want to lose him.

Misha let out a string of Russian words in an angry rush. "He always did have a problem with you and we could never figure out why. But what makes you think he is your attacker?" He asked after a minute of cursing.

"My attacker smells of musk and cinnamon. And his eyes are the coldest blue, Misha. So cold and so evil." I stopped and took a deep breath. "And he looks almost identical to Igor." I finished.

Misha said a few more choice words in Russian before switching to English. "When I get my hands on the mother fucka I'm gonna rip his head off and shove it up his ass." He muttered.

I almost giggled at that. I shouldn't have wanted to but he was thinking along the same lines that Ranger was thinking of this morning. Both of them had such a violent streak coursing through them but I wasn't scared of either one of them. I found that oddly comforting.

"Igor and I will be on a plane to Trenton as soon as we can get one. He won't hurt you again, My Angel. I'll kill him first." He promised.

I swallowed. "There's one more thing, Misha."

"What?"

"He kept repeating the same thing over and over again, but I didn't understand it because he said it in Russian." Those Russian words haunted me. I didn't understand them but they were said with such evil.

"Could you try and repeat them?"

"I think so." I tried several times before I finally got it right. "Рапс вы любите шлюха вы." I struggled to say it correctly but when Misha went back to swearing in his native language, I knew I had said it right. I heard Misha calling for Igor then more angry Russian words were spoke. I didn't understand what he was saying and I was pretty sure he had completely forgot that I was even on the phone.

"Misha, what does that mean?" I asked a little louder than normal. I was trying to get his attention.

I heard his voice muffle as he spoke to someone in Russian. I heard a reply back and I was almost certain it was Igor himself. Then Misha said something else before speaking to me.

"My Angel, Yuri is an evil man and he is after you. We are coming there to protect you. And to look for Yuri. Igor doesn't want for me to kill him, but if I reach him first he will die." He replied. But that didn't answer my question.

"What do those words mean, Misha? Please tell me." I asked of him. I didn't know why I wanted to know but I did.

He let out a sigh. "Roughly translated it means, rape you like the whore you is."

I felt sick. I was going to be sick. My vision went blurry as I thrust the phone at Ranger and ran for the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I grabbed the phone just as Ashley thrust it into my hands. She then ran to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. I put the phone to my ear and almost winced when I heard Misha spewing some of the worse language I had ever heard.

"Misha, what did you tell her?" I interrupted him. He said a few choice words before answering.

"Yuri has been missing from Russia for two months. We have been trying to locate him with no luck." He begin.

I didn't understand what that had to do with Ashley's attacker or why Ashley would think it was Igor's cousin.

"Why do you think Yuri is Ashley's attacker? Or why does Ashley think that?" I questioned.

I heard Misha sigh. "Yuri has always had a problem with Ashley. We believe it is because he has a crush on her and he didn't believe she should be parading her little body around in those leotards. Ashley said he smells of cinnamon and musk. He likes the cologne Old Spice which smells of those. He could also be Igor's twin brother." Misha explained.

FUCK! That is not what I wanted to hear. Then again maybe it was exactly what I wanted to hear. If we knew who Ashley's attacker was then we could find him a lot quicker. I wanted to punish him something fierce for hurting Ashley. I could make his death look like an accident or maybe even suicide.

"I'm not finished, Manoso." Misha's voice came back and I forced my attention back to him and away from my homicidal thoughts.

"I'm listening." I told him. And I was.

"Yuri is an evil man. The only one he is scared of is his cousin, Igor. Ashley told me some of Yuri was speaking to her in Russian. Those words are roughly translated to mean, rape you like the whore you is."

It was my turn to let out a string of hot curses and threats. He had almost succeeded in his task and I knew he would try again. Men like Yuri didn't give up.

"Igor and I will be on the next flight to Trenton. We will protect Ashley while we hunt for Yuri." He informed me.

"Like hell you will." I told him. Ashley wasn't leaving my sight. She would not be leaving my apartment or my building for any reason. Me and my men were the only ones that could protect her.

"I'm sorry?" Misha questioned with a voice lined with rage. I knew that voice. I had one just like it. He was holding on to his control by a thread.

"Ashley will not be leaving my building. We can keep her safe."

Misha snorted and my fingers clenched around my phone. "You haven't kept her safe so far."

I took a deep breath. "Ashley was staying in a hotel then. Now she is staying here at RangeMan with me. She will be safe and she will remain here. You will not even be able to get to her as long as she remains here." I told him.

"I have known her a lot longer than you have Manoso. She is family to me and she is danger." He stopped talking and I heard him muttering in Russian before he came back over the phone. "If you believe you can keep her safer with you then she can remain there, but I want to see that for myself. You will not keep her from me. I haven't seen her in a while and I want to see for myself that she is okay."

I was okay with that, but if he tried to leave with her, he would have a major war on his hands. "That is fine. We will send you the RangeMan jet. It will take less time to get here."

We talked for a few more minutes, going over the finalized plans of Misha and Igor coming to Trenton. I told him that I would inform the police of their arrival since one was already here. I hung up the phone and resisted the urge to grab Ashley and get the hell out of New Jersey.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I ignored my phone as it vibrated for the third time against my hip. The first time it had been Tank and the second time it had been Santos. I didn't care who it was the first or second time and I didn't care who it was this time. They all wanted the same thing; to let me know that Misha and Igor had arrived. Forty-eight hours have came and went and the bruises that were covering Ashley's small frame have darken and looked worse than before.

I've kept my distance these last two days. Ashley was vulnerable and I didn't trust myself around her. Big of me to admit to myself but I would never admit it to anyone else. I was getting up early in the morning and taking my ass to the gym to work out every frustration I had on any machine that was available. I would stay away throughout the day and only return when I knew Ashley had fallen asleep.

Only then would I come upstairs. I would take a shower and relieve more frustrations that way then I would eat and watch Ashley sleep for a couple of hours before finally crashing on the couch. I then repeated the same routine the second day.

Which is where I am now. It's later on in the evening and Ashley is asleep in my bed. Santos had called an hour ago and said that he just picked up Misha and Igor from the airport. I hung up without a word. So as my phone vibrated now for the fourth time, I knew what they wanted. I didn't care. Going downstairs and coming in contact with these men, I would finally have to acknowledge that Ashley was really friends with the Russian Mob. Oh not that anyone would say they were but everyone knows that they are.

I had a group of men searching the Trenton and Newark area looking for any signs of Yuri. If anyone had seen anything, they were keeping quiet. Yuri was underground. But that didn't mean Ashley was safe.

I wanted her to remain with me, but I couldn't make her stay. She knew, respected, trusted, and liked Misha. I just had a secure building that one could only enter with a key. I just had a room full of any weapon imaginable with enough ammunition that seemed like it would never run out. I had men that would do anything to make sure that Ashley remained unharmed. Ashley had me and I would lay my life down to protect her. But I couldn't make her stay with me.

I didn't move as I heard my apartment door open then shut. I knew it was Tank as he was my second in command, but he never let his presence known. Not until he stopped at my bedroom door and spoke.

"Mr. Konstantin and Mr. Stanislav have arrived." He informed me; his voice soft. I was guessing he was trying not to wake Ashley.

"Yep." I already knew they were here. I just didn't care.

"You can't keep her from them."

I snorted before I could stop myself. "I'm Ranger fucking Manoso. I can do anything I want."

"So you gonna keep this one?" He asked but followed up quickly with another question. "What about Steph?"

And what about Steph. She had Morelli and she was happy with that. They did have that on and off relationship, but I was tired of it. She would continuously go back to him. She felt safe with him. I was tired of competing.

"What about her? She has Morelli."

"You know that will only last for a short time and then she'll be back."

"I'm tired of waiting. Maybe I want my own."

I heard him move before replying. "You're in love with Steph. You can't deny it. Everyone here can see that."

I hated that my men knew this. It meant I wasn't keeping a tight lid on my emotions as I thought I was. But I knew Steph didn't know that and that was all that mattered. What did matter was the feelings that I was developing towards this small imp in front of me who was in my bed. Where she looked right at home.

"Doesn't matter what I feel for Steph. Steph is in love with Morelli."

"Is it fair to Ashley to come in second?"

"She won't. Ever." I told him and she wouldn't. I would never neglect her.

"What happened to the whole your life doesn't lead itself to relationships?"

I took my time to answer as Ashley moved under the covers. I didn't want to wake her up. I wanted to talk to Misha and Igor first. I wanted to make sure they understood that Ashley wasn't leaving the premises of RangeMan.

"That doesn't matter either." I finally answered him.

"You can't pull the same shit with Ashley as you did with Steph. You can't pull Ashley in and then push her away. Ashley doesn't have a Morelli like Steph does."

I snorted again. "What about Erik?"

It was then that Tank snorted. "If she wanted Erik, they would have done been together."

I glanced over at him before turning my attention back to Ashley. "What in the hell do you mean by that?" I asked.

"You can't tell me that you didn't notice the way Erik looks at her. He would have already had her in bed if she felt anything for him. He wants her. She doesn't want him. She's not like Steph."

I didn't like that Erik wanted Ashley and I can't believe I missed that. I was going to have to talk to Erik and make sure he understood that was Ashley was off limits. I was relieved to hear that Ashley didn't care for Erik in that way. But Tank did have it right. Ashley was nothing like Steph.

"I agree. Ashley is nothing like Steph. The exact opposite in fact. The other night proved that." I commented.

Tank let out a sigh. "She was scared to death." He said and I gave a small nod. She was afraid. She was still afraid. She didn't like the smell of cinnamon either. I doubt she ever would again.

"She was. Thanks to that asshole she'll be scared for quite sometime. Not to mention she does not care for the smell of cinnamon."

"I can't say I blame her."

It was silent in the room as my phone went to buzzing once more. I again ignored it. They could wait. I knew it wasn't proper but at the moment I didn't want to leave Ashley's bed side.

"What are you going to do?" Tank asked; breaking the silence.

I stood up. "I'm going that kill the son of a bitch, Yuri. But first I'm going to make sure that Misha understands that Ashley belongs here with me and she's not leaving with him. He's also gonna have to understand that Ashley is mine." I told him before walking past him and out of the room.

I barely heard Tank mutter as I cleared the bedroom door. "Yeah, but for how long?"


	10. Misha & His Thoughts

Author's Note: No words can truly tell you how sorry I am. I never realized that living with and around so much family would keep me busy all the time. I wanna thank Chesi for still believing in me as I struggled to update and Vulcan Rider for letting me know that she was still waiting and ready for an update. This chapter is for my lovely readers!

Misha And His Thoughts

Misha's POV-

"Misha!" I heard her before I saw her, but even her beautiful voice did things to me that I could never figure out. She was family and she would always be my family, but sometimes my body wasn't in sync with my mind.

I turned to face my angel with my arms opened and I braced myself for her light weight. She didn't disappoint me. She flung herself into my arms and squeezed me tight. I wasn't sure she was grinning but I had a feeling she was. She missed me almost as much as I missed her.

Looking over her shoulder I caught sight of Mr. Manoso. He was not a happy camper. If I was a betting man and I was, I would definitely say that Ashley was off the market. She may not know it yet, but Manoso was fully staking his claim just by the look on his face. I watched as he recovered quickly and his face became blank. However his body was still tense and he was watching Ashley like a hawk. I gave him a smug smile and his eyes narrowed.

Upon arriving at RangeMan, he gave me a complete rundown of what was and was not going to happen. The first thing at the top of his list was Ashley and her not leaving RangeMan. I almost laughed out loud at that one. If I wanted to leave RangeMan and take Ashley with me then no one would stop me. They might put up a good fight but they wouldn't have a choice. I made a promise to my little sister on her death bed that I would always protect Ashley no matter what crazy thing she found herself in. Dasha had assured me that one day Ashley would need my protection and Igor's too. She was right.

I pulled back and held Ashley by her upper arms. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants that had RangeMan down the sides of them and her feet were bare. A black tank top that said RangeMan across the left breast covered her upper torso. The bruises on her arms were clearly visible and ugly looking. Manoso was written all over her body, but I wanted to see her face; look her into her eyes. The smile she gave me was so bright, it was almost blinding. "You look beautiful, My Angel. Even with the bruises. That stupid stupid man. He has no idea what he has brought down on himself, does he." I made the statement into a question but Ashley ignored it.

"Oh Misha. I have missed you so much. How are you doing? Are you eating? Sleeping? Taking care of yourself?" She asked in a ramble.

This time I did laugh. "My Angel, I am fine. The pain heals with time. As all things do." I told her. Losing Dasha was hard on me and if I haven't been for Ashley, I probably wouldn't be here. Oh I wouldn't have taken my own life, but I would have done something stupid and lost it. But she managed to do something that no one else would have been able to do. Save my life.

She wrapped her arms around my neck once more and squeezed. "I missed you so much, Mishy."

I mentally groaned at the use of her nickname for me. She was the only one that would ever live after using that nickname. But she has been calling me Mishy since she heard Dasha call me that. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and we were at the gym where Ashley use to train. But instead of Ashley training, she was teaching Dasha how to do a cartwheel. After trying a few times, Dasha had threw herself into my arms and cried. She screamed and yelled that she would never get it right. I told her she would but she just had to try harder. She agreed she would then told me she loved me. Instead of calling me большой Брат or big brother as she usually did, she used Mishy. Ashley giggled.

I'll never til the day I die, forget that sound. She was barely twenty at the time, but the sound was erotic in itself. When she saw the feral look on my face, she didn't back down. She pulled my little sister from my arms and talked her into trying it just one more time. Then one more time again. And so on until she finally got it right, an hour later. As she pulled Dasha away from me, she smiled. Not a 'I know I turn you on and I'm gonna use that to my advantage' smile, but a 'I saw that look and I'm not scared of you' smile. I swore to myself then that I would not touch her. That she would be considered family; blood. Therefore she was off limits.

It was a decision that I have come to regret many times in the last several years especially after Dasha passed on. To lose myself in Ashley's tight warmth wouldn't have made the pain any better, but it would have made it go away for a little while. I couldn't see myself taking a lover with Ashley sticking close to me. Always making sure that I was eating proper foods and getting plenty of sleep. Or that I wasn't drinking myself to death. She was my angel. She was Dasha's angel. Dasha loved her and I still do. I always will.

She pulled away from me which pulled me away from my thoughts. Igor behind me cleared his throat. His signal that he was demanding an introduction. I turned around; bringing Ashley with me.

"My Angel, this is Igor. Igor, this is Ashley." I introduced them and watched with open curiosity to see what their reactions to each other would be.

Ashley being Ashley stuck her hand out and smiled. "Hi. Nice to meet you."

Igor looked at her hand before shaking his head and pulling her roughly into his arms. Ashley's whole body tensed and I was not the only one who saw the visible tremor that went through her small body. Manoso and the two men with him stepped forward to pull Ashley away. I held up one hand and shook my own head. "Give them just a minute." I whispered softly. Manoso and his men stopped but looked ready to pounce with the slightest hint of any discomfort from Ashley. I listened to Igor as he whispered soft words of Russian into her ear. How sorry he was and how he couldn't believe that his cousin could do this. She was beautiful and gorgeous and he would do anything he could to make this up to her. The last thing he said some what surprised me since he stated before we left Russia that he didn't want his cousin killed, but Manoso deserved the right to kill Yuri if that opportunity arose.

After a few seconds of soft whispers, Ashley's body relaxed and she squeezed Igor in return. He didn't show any shock to the hug but I knew he probably was. He finally stepped back, but kept his hands on Ashley's narrow waist. She had filled out the last time I saw her and it only made her more appealing; more sexy.

"Yuri will pay for what he has done, Красивый ребенка. I can promise you that he will pay for the bruises that mar your angelic face and cover your innocent flesh." He told her.(beautiful baby)

Ashley came up to her tip toes and kissed Igor's cheek. In all my years serving this hard man, he has never blushed. But I guess there is a first for everything. He glanced over at me with a look I clearly recognized. If I told anybody he dare blush from an innocent kiss, he would kill me. I nodded in understanding and he focused his attention back on Ashley.

"We have some business we would like to discuss with your man. Would you like to stay and be included or leave?" He asked her.

She looked somewhat confused and I was once again betting it had something to do with the fact that Igor called Manoso her man. So he hadn't claimed her yet. Maybe he would do so while we were here. I didn't think I could handle that. Before Ashley could speak up, Manoso spoke for her.

"Ashley, are you hungry?"

Ashley turned to look at Manoso and nodded. "I am a little hungry but my throat still hurts."

A look so quickly passed by Manoso's face that I didn't see what it was but I didn't think it was a good look. Over two days had passed since Ashley was attacked in her hotel room and if her throat was still hurting, Yuri used more force than beyond necessary for this pint size angel. He would pay and it would be severe. Manoso would see to that.

"Santos, take Ashley to the break room. Ella left some soup in there for her just in case. Get her settled than come back." He barked out at his employee before turning back to Ashley.

She walked to him before he summoned her. His fingers caressed over her face and down her neck. She shivered in what I was sure was desire and a smile transformed Manoso. He looked like a completely different man than the one that greeted us at the front doors.

"Thank you, Ranger." She told him softly. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, but I couldn't hear the words. A light pink blush covered her peaches and cream complexion and I barely resisted the urge to laugh. She was beautiful and Manoso was a very lucky man.

After Ashley left with Santos, we sat back down at the conference table. Manoso and his right hand man waited silently and patiently for the news that Igor was about to give them. I was ready for it. I knew it was coming.

"Mr. Manoso, your woman is beautiful and such an innocent. In all the years that Misha had talked about her; about his angel, I never knew how true those words really were. My cousin has never been exactly right, but I never thought he was capable of such violence against a woman. He has always had this hatred towards her that I never understood. But now it does not matter."

Igor stopped, sighed and shook his head. "I am a very loyal man towards my employees. As long as they are loyal to me. Misha has been my most loyal since the day I hired him. He has never let me down. For that I am giving you both permission to hunt my cousin. If you find him, you must kill him."

He stopped as Santos entered the room and sat down next to Manoso. Igor glanced over at me before returning to Manoso. "In Russia, I'm a feared man. I will kill anyone who gets in my way and that does include women but only as a last resort. And I do mean a last resort. I will only torture a man if I need information from him, but I will not torture any woman. A woman is a treasure that must be cherished until the day you die. If you claim one as your woman, you should protect her with everything you have. Give her anything she needs and make sure she never wants. The bruises and cuts that cover your woman's body is horrific and my idiot cousin must pay the price."

Igor stopped talking and waited to see if Manoso had any questions, but when he didn't say anything Igor started talking once more. "I would take care of him myself, but I could never betray my family in such a way. It is up to you and to Misha to kill him. To kill him in any way you see fit. I myself would make it a long and painful death. But that is me." Igor stopped turn to look at me.

"Do you have anything to add, Misha?"

I took a deep breath. "I know Igor is giving us both the honor to kill Yuri, but I will not kill him. Manoso, I believe that should be your job."

Manoso took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this, Igor? Misha?" He asked.

We both nodded and Manoso along with his men smiled. But this smile was not like the one he gave Ashley. This one was evil and sinister. Yuri was a dead man.

* * *

><p>:-) Please review... Oh and what Ranger whispered in Ashley's ear... "Does that gratitude come with a kiss, Sweetness?"<p> 


	11. Talking With Stephanie

Talking With Stephanie

Ranger's POV-

"Report." I barked through the phone.

"No signs of him. If he's around, he isn't making himself known." Ram replied with ease.

"Location."

"We started out at the gym, then they went to Pinos for lunch, and now we're back at their hotel. Been here for the last hour."

She was by herself with two members of the Russian mob and they were in a hotel room. I didn't like the feelings that were running through me at that thought. I had no claims on her. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to stake a claim. I still needed to get my shit with Stephanie straightened out.

"Report if anything changes." I told Ram. He confirmed and I hung up.

Since entering the Army, I focused on my career. I kept my mind off of anything personal. Only finding women to take the edge off in a one night stand. They always got what they wanted and in return I took what I wanted. I never saw any woman twice. I never gave them my real name. Hell, I never gave them my street name either. I kept impersonal as I could possibly get. Rachel and Julie was a surprise, but now I wouldn't change that for anything.

I never imagined a white girl from the Burg lowering my defenses. Or that I would allow her too, but she did. She got under my skin and in my head and if I'm honest to myself, she made a place for herself in my heart. Her relationship with Morelli never factored in to my equation. I never thought he would stand in my way if I wanted Steph on a more permanent basics.

But hell, I never thought my life could handle a relationship. I had so many enemies that I didn't want to drag an innocent woman into my chaotic life. Even though Steph had her own enemies and stalkers, I still didn't want to get involve with her. Then Hawaii happened and we became close. Real close. I have never let a woman that close to me before. Not emotionally anyway. But Steph did. She did what I'm pretty sure was the impossible. She made me want a life. A relationship. Then she took off and left. And went straight to the cop.

It hit me hard and I will never admit that to anybody; family, friend, or employee. Steph pissed me off and honestly she hurt me. Emotional pain is something I haven't felt in a very long time, but that is exactly what she did. I will never allow it happen again. Or so I thought I wouldn't.

Along came a five foot, brown eyed, brown haired, beautiful, sexy gymnast. And I found myself intrigued. I wanted to get to know her. Talk to her. And so much more. Just by looking into her eyes. She was so innocent and that innocence pulled something in me. I want to protect her. I want to keep her safe. I want to possess her. Every inch of her.

Just like with Steph, I wanted to get to know her. To talk to her and discover all her secrets, her likes and dislikes. With each little thing revealed, I wanted to know more. I discovered I wanted to kill her ex-fiance. I discovered that she likes to chew on her bottom lip when she gets nervous. I discovered that she's athletic and determined to return to the world of gymnastics. And I'm pretty sure that she'll be a little wild cat in bed.

But first I needed to get my feelings for Steph figured out. I needed to make sure there would be no future for us. I wanted to talk to Stephanie and offer her that relationship. If she jumped at the chance or turned me down flat, I needed to know.

A knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts. I needed a breather so I didn't mind. This time. "Enter." I barked out.

My office door opened slowly and Tank stuck his head in. I motioned for him to come in and he did; leaving the door opened. Once he settled his large frame into a chair, he spoke.

"Any word?"

I shook my head. "No sign."

"How is Ashley holding up?"

"She's with Misha and Igor so I'm gonna say good."

Tank's eyes narrowed at me and I frowned. "I have to say I was really surprised when you let her out of the building this morning."

I shrugged. I couldn't deny her. Again I had no claim on her. Oh I wanted to hand cuff her to my bed, but she wasn't mine. And Igor and Misha will keep her safe. Did I trust them with her. Her life? yes. Her body? Not a chance in hell. But she wasn't mine and I didn't have a say. Did I want her to be mine? I shook my head. I really didn't know. I still have feelings for Stephanie. Feelings that I didn't understand. Or did I?

Watching Stephanie with Morelli, never really bothered me. But then again whenever I saw them together, they were arguing. It always amused me. It didn't piss me off. I really never thought about them having sex either. And I didn't want to. But the thought of them two together didn't get a rise out of me like it did when I thought of Ashley with Misha or Eric.

It never failed that when I thought of Ashley with either one of them, my mind went straight to the gutter. Imagining them in bed together was a living nightmare for me. I wanted to pull out all my teeth with a set of pliers just to take my mind off of it. I didn't even think the pain of that would help. I had after all experienced worse pain than that.

Santos' advice helped only marginally, but then again I didn't ask for it. Even with his advice, I still had to ask Steph. Talk with her to see what she would want. Give her a chance. Give us a chance. I didn't think it would work simply because Steph is so damn stubborn and pig headed that she wouldn't compromise when needed. Ashley wasn't a pushover but it was just a feeling that I had that made me positive that Ashley would stay in RangeMan if there was a threat.

I glanced up to find Tank waiting for me to reply. "She wanted to spend time with Misha. He'll protect her." I told him. No way was I going to admit that I didn't have a say in the matter.

Tank nodded. "Did you hear?" He asked me.

I raised an eyebrow in question. "Hear what?"

"Rumor is that Morelli and Steph are off again."

I nodded. "You listen to gossip? Burg gossip?"

He shrugged. "Their on and off again relationship is legendary here in Trenton. Usually if it's said then it's true."

He was right. They were on and off so much that it was known to happen at least once a week. Or sometimes more. When Steph got mad, she didn't want to stay and talk things over, she exploded and walked out. Only returning later to make up without talking things over. Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. That wasn't how a relationship worked or at least my parents weren't like that.

"I called her and asked her to come to my office. I wanna talk to her." I told my second in command.

Tank's brows furrowed and I could only imagine what he was thinking. "About what?" He asked.

I didn't wanna talk about it. To anyone, but Santos already gave me his opinion and I needed another one. Tank was the only one I could think of that I would want to talk to about this.

"I'm gonna ask Steph if she wants to have a real relationship." I replied.

Tank's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped down. "Seriously?" He asked and I nodded. "What brought this on? I would have thought for sure that you and Ashley were gonna hook up?"

I chuckled. Hook up? Who said that? "Hook up?" Tank rolled his eyes and motioned for me to continue explaining. "To me it seems fair to offer Steph the relationship first."

"Yeah, don't you mean you might be in love with her?" Tank asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I might be, but I have feelings for Ashley too. Can I be in love with one woman and and want another?"

Tank gave another shrug. "I wouldn't think so. Steph opened your eyes. She made you realize that you can have that relationship. As long as there is boundaries and rules set up if she was ever in danger. But somehow I don't see Steph following those rules."

"You think Ashley would?"

"I don't know, but she seems more likely to follow the rules than Steph would. Just speaking from experience."

I nodded. "You're somewhat agreeing with Santos."

"Oh. What did he tell you?"

"That I should give up on Steph. And give Ashley a chance."

Tank grinned. "What was his reason?"

"He said that as long as Steph lived in Trenton, the Burg would always make her decisions for her."

"He's right. Morelli and her grew up together and the Burg believes they belong together."

Ugh, he was right. Again. Damn. It didn't matter what I offered. She would always go back to Morelli. They had a past and a friendship that couldn't be denied.

"Misha and Igor arrived yesterday morning, since then have you noticed anything sexual between Misha and Ashley?" Tank asked; interrupting my thoughts.

I shook my head. "No. They're at ease with each other. Laughing, joking, teasing, and touching, but it's all non sexual." I replied.

Tank nodded. "I'm not surprise. I've seen the way she looks at you."

That shocked me. I hadn't seen her looking at me so now I was seriously intrigued. "What way is that?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I can't believe you haven't noticed it. Her looks are innocent, but you definitely fascinate her. She likes you, but she isn't sure how to handle her feelings or probably you."

"I hadn't noticed it. She's a sweet little thang, but she's not for me."

Tank smiled and nodded. "Believe what you will, Range Man. Believe what you will." He teased before nodding towards my computer where I had the camera for the garage up. "Stephanie has arrived."

I nodded and stood up. "Get out of my office so I can talk to her."

He laughed and walked out. I wasn't nervous which I found odd. I was getting ready to offer Steph a relationship. Something I told her I could never do. I wasn't sure how I wanted her to answer. Something inside me was dreading it. Dreaded knowing, but I needed to know if we would ever have that chance. And if I would welcome it or regret it.

I jumped from camera to camera as I watched Steph enter the elevator and enter the fifth floor. She was greeted by everyone, Santos included. She looked a little uncomfortable and I had to wonder what that was all about. She always looked relaxed around my employees; my friends.

She waved good bye and headed towards my office. Already standing up and leaning against my desk, I just waved her in as she stopped at the door way to knock.

"Hi Ranger. How have you been?" She asked me; softly and almost unsure.

I raised an eyebrow and she scowled. That made me chuckle. Good to see that some things didn't change. "Good." I answered.

That made her roll her eyes. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

I nodded and motioned for her to come here. She hesitated but eventually came forward. "Ranger, you're acting really weird."

I took a deep breath. "I've always told you that my life didn't lead to relationships, but I would like to offer you that chance of a relationship."

She looked utterly surprised and a little freaked out. I didn't understand the freaked out part, but maybe I had it coming.

"Are you serious?"

I nodded. "I am, Babe. But you need to understand what I'm saying. If we have a relationship then it will just be between you and me. No Morelli. I'm not saying you can't hang out with him or talk to him, but that's it. If we get into an argument, there will be no running away from me and running to him. You'll be mine and I don't share." I explained.

She gulped, licked her lips, and swallowed before speaking. "I thought you were seeing someone?" She questioned.

I managed to keep my face blank but it was hard. I wasn't seeing anybody but I knew who she was referring to. "I'm not seeing anyone, Babe. I wouldn't have offered you a relationship if I was already in one."

She looked guilty. That was the only word I could use. Guilty. I didn't know why, but I intended to find out. "What's wrong, Steph?"

"Ranger, I thought you were seeing someone. That you had finally found your special someone. So I um." She hesitated. "I got engaged, Ranger."

I was taken back, but I didn't feel anything but happiness for my Babe. Maybe I wasn't in love with my Babe. Maybe I just loved her. I pulled her into my arms and engulfed her in a hug. "Congratulations, Babe. I'm happy for you." I muttered into her hair.

She pulled back to look at me. "You're really not in a relationship?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not. Is that why you got engaged because you thought I was seeing someone?" I had to know. I didn't want her to make a mistake simply because she got the wrong idea about me and another person. Even if I did want to take that person to bed.

She shook her head violently. "No that wasn't the reason why. I thought you were happy and I wanted you to be happy. When Joe asked me to marry him, I wanted to say yes. I love you Ranger, but I'm in love with Joe. We have such a past and a friendship that I think it will help us with our future."

I had never heard Steph say anything like this before. She was right. Maybe her and Morelli were meant to be together. "I'm happy for you, Steph. If you ever need anything, you just let me know." I told her.

She grinned and hugged me back. "I will." She promised. "Now tell me all about this Ashley that I have been hearing so much about." She teased me.

I smiled and did as she asked.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

"I had so much fun today, Misha." I told him as we pulled into the underground garage at RangeMan.

He smiled over at me. "I did too, My Angel." He parked the car and turn to face me. "We will find him, мой прекрасный ангел. We will find him." He promised. (my beautiful angel)

I grinned. "I know, Mishy. I just hope he doesn't hurt any one else." I replied chewing on my lower lip.

Misha's hand came up to cup my right cheek and his thumb caressed underneath my eye. "I hate this. I really fucking hate this." He spat out.

"Hate what?"

"Angel, he doesn't want anyone but you. He won't stop until he finds you. But I promise I will not let that happen."

I knew he wouldn't. He would protect me no matter what the costs. I trusted him. With my life I trusted him wholeheartedly. But I was still scared. My whole body shook with fear and hurt from worrying. I only felt safe with Misha or at RangeMan. I didn't even feel safe at the gym with Eric. Something I thought would never happen. And I hated it. I hated this feeling of helplessness.

"Hey hey. I'm sorry My Angel." Misha said as he pulled me into his arms. Even in the car it was a tight squeeze but that didn't stop Misha from pulling me over the console and placing me in his lap. "Stop shaking, возлюбленный. I wasn't trying to scare you, Angel." He replied and it was then I realized I was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't stop. Misha slipped into Russian; his tone harsh and hard. I had not a clue in what he was saying but I knew it wasn't nice.

He stopped abruptly and opened the car door. "Come on. I know what you need." He stated before climbing out of the car with me in his arms.

I finally managed to get my shaking under control by the time we reached the elevator. He placed me on my feet and hit the button to go up. "What do I need?" I asked.

He smiled. "Your man."

I frowned. "What man? I don't have a man." I told him. I was really confused.

"Manoso."

I shook my head. "He's not my man."

He ran the tip of his finger down my nose. "What would you call him, Angel?" He asked.

My brows furrowed and I frowned harder. "A friend." I replied. Even to my own voice, it sounded as though I wasn't quite sure.

Misha laughed. "I think he might be more than that, don't you?"

I shook my head harder. "He's in love with another woman, Mishy. We're just friends." I told him. Even though Ranger did kiss me. Maybe he was confused or they had an argument. I didn't know.

This news made Misha frown. "Where did you hear that, My Angel."

"Everybody here talks about her and how in love with her he is."

"Listening to gossip doesn't sound like you, Little Girl." Misha's tone and words made me cringe. He was gonna give me a lecture if I didn't talk fast.

"I'm not listening to gossip. I hate gossip. But how wrong could every single one of his employees be? They all talk about her. The bombshell bounty hunter or Bomber or Steph or Stephanie."

He cocked his head like he was thinking and then he nodded. "I heard about this Stephanie. She is very popular in the papers." He replied.

I grinned and pretend punched his shoulder. "Who is listening to gossip now? Mmmmm?" I teased him.

Misha threw his head back and laughed just as the elevator doors opened. I smiled as a tall brunette with the prettiest blue eyes stepped off the elevator. She immediately smiled at me. "Hi. You must be Ashley."

I nodded and held out my hand. "I am. It's nice to meet you."

She shook my hand. "I'm Stephanie. And it's nice to meet you too. I would love to stay and chat but I have to run. I hope everything works out for you."

I thanked her and she turned to introduced herself to Misha who replied in kind. I was thankful she paid no attention to my bruises. They were still pretty dark and ugly but slowly disappearing.

She waved good bye to the both of us and got into her car. I waited until she drove out of the garage before speaking. "She's beautiful. I can see what he sees in her." I said as I stepped into the elevator.

Misha frowned at me and pulled me in for another hug. "You're beautiful, My Angel. So very beautiful." He assured.

I smiled at him. "Thanks Mishy."

* * *

><p>Just a little hint for future chapters...Steph and Ranger ...more to come... so look forward to it! But again this is not a Babe!<p> 


	12. Sightings & Massages

Author's Note: Thank You To All My Readers Who Have Left Reviews! I Love Each And EVERY ONE!

Sightings & Massages

Ranger's POV-

"Have you seen Ashley?" I asked my second in command. When I entered his office, I didn't bother knocking. My mind was too focused on the news I just received. News that I needed to inform my entire company of and one pint size brown eyed gymnast.

Tank shrugged his huge shoulders and smiled. "Since Misha and Igor left, who knows. All the guys are trying to keep her mind off of them leaving." He replied.

Misha and Igor had left almost a week ago. They had been only a few days before receiving a call from an employee. They rushed back to Russia for business purposes. Although neither mob member wanted to leave Ashley behind. They tried to convince me that Ashley would be safer in Russia with Yuri here in Trenton, but nothing or no one was going to take Ashley away from RangeMan or me. They eventually gave up.

Ashley was devastated that they were leaving so soon. They promised that they would return soon, but she still became a little depressed after leaving. At first I tried to be there for her, but searching for Yuri and taking care of my usual business, I found myself bogged down and unable to spend time with her. However I had no idea that my employees had been spending time that time with her.

"Explain." I barked out.

Tank gave an eye roll that any Burg society member would be proud of it and Steph too. "What's to explain? Self-dense with Santos. Lock-picking with Hal. CPR and first aid with Bobby. Swimming with Cal. Gun training with Ram. Hand to hand combat with Vince and Manny. Electronics lessons with Hector. Crafty driving techniques with Woody. All of them have been going to her apartment to play video games, board games, card games, and puzzles. I do mean all of them. Zip, Junior, Bones, Zero, and Scar included." He stopped with a grin. "They all seem to love her."

My eyes narrowed and I couldn't stop that frown that came to me. I had spent the last two mornings with Santos and Bobby and yesterday afternoon with Tank and not one of them mentioned anything about spending so much time with Ashley. I was pleased that they were keeping Ashley occupied so she didn't spend too much time thinking about Yuri or her missing friends. On the other hand, I didn't want her spending so much time with them that she forgot about me.

That thought only made me frown harder. How is it that I find myself more titillated with Ashley than I ever was with Steph. And it happened faster with Ashley than it did Steph too. Could it really be that Steph only made me open my heart for a future relationship and that future was with Ashley and not Steph. If so then why do I find myself wanting to run from Ashley instead of being around her. I guess I could almost say I was afraid to be near her. Like I didn't want to lose her when I had just found her.

"Boss, if you frown any harder, you may never get your blank face back." Tank's teasing brought me back to reality.

"Don't make me take you to the mats." I threatened him.

He threw his head back and laughed; shaking his head. He laughed so hard tears were pouring down his cheeks. I don't think I had ever seen my right hand man laugh like this. His whole body was relaxed and his blank face was gone. Who was responsible for this? Stephanie? Or Ashley?

"What the hell is so damn funny?" I barked out. I was getting more irritated by the second. With Ashley hanging out more with my employees and with Tank laughing. At me.

"You are, Range Man." He replied. "With Steph you had it bad. With Ashley, you have it _bad_." He stated; stressing out the word bad.

I ignored that. "Where is Ashley?" I demanded to know.

I had no idea if it was the tone of my voice or the look of death on my face, but Tank sobered instantly. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Yuri was spotted three times in the last two days hanging around the corner of Stark and Third Street."

"What's he doing?"

"No one knows that. They've only just seen him."

Tank nodded. "Whose talking?"

"The prostitutes."

Tank's eyebrow came up and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "What are they saying?" He asked.

"A lot." I replied and they were. Talking that is. They couldn't seem to shut up, but then again who could blame them. "Two days after the attack on Ashley, Yuri picked up a prostitute. She never came back. They found her dead body in a hotel room on Stark Street. She was tortured and raped. The others say that Yuri was the last person she was seen with."

"They identified Yuri?"

I nodded. "No hesitation at all." I told him. Taking a deep breath, I collapsed in a guest chair. "Wanna hear the worst part?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he nodded. He may wanna hear the worst part, but once he did I was sure he was gonna regret it. My stomach churned and I almost threw up. I wasn't planning on telling Ashley either. Knowing her, she would feel guilty as hell and it wasn't her fault.

"The dead prostitute looked almost exactly like Ashley. She wasn't as short since she was five foot five, but she had brown curly hair and brown eyes. She was skinny. Small."

Tank growled low in his throat. His face was filled with anger and the promise of vengeance and pain. He shook his head. "Why only one girl?" He asked.

"After that one, all the other prostitutes refuse to go with him. So he's been apparently laying low and staying hidden."

"And the police?"

I sighed. He wouldn't like this either. "She had no family. No living relatives. It's not a priority."

"That's bullshit." Tank spat out; clearly disgusted.

"I agree, but Yuri will get his. I'll make sure of it." I told him and I would. Yuri was going to be in a world of pain when I found him. There was no if I found him, there was only when. Because I would. That girl had been through hell and back. Cuts, scratches, burns, and bites lined her small drugged body. The Chief of police only showed me the crime scene photos after I promised him that I would bring the man responsible to justice. He simply nodded and handed me the file.

"Ashley's with Ram in the range." Tank said; once again pulling me from my thoughts. I stood up and walked over to his desk where he had his computer on. He had the camera on that was located in the gun range and sure enough there was Ashley.

She had a little .22 caliber weapon in her hands. The gun looked huge clasped in her small palms. I couldn't see her face, but I could see Ram's. I had to give him credit. He was focused on his task of teaching her how to shoot and not on the feel of Ashley's sexy body firmly against his. I didn't like how their bodies were so close together, but Ram was keeping it professional and that was the only thing that was keeping me from killing my best sniper.

I walked out of Tank's office with yet another frown upon my face and Tank's laughing in my ear. I walked into my company gun range within minutes after leaving Tank's office and I wasn't even breathing hard. By the time I got there, Ram had backed away from Ashley. She was shooting and he was watching with a grin on his face.

Even though I was silent upon entering, he still turned to see who came into his territory. Always be aware of your surroundings is something I have drilled into all my employees and they have listened well. I had the best employees around and that was going to be the key to finding Yuri.

I nodded towards Ashley. "How is she doing?" I asked.

Ram grinned. "She's a natural now that I got her to at least hold it and shoot the damn thing. She refused to even touch it at first."

My mouth tilted upward in a slight smile. "You can leave us. I'll take it from here." I told him. He didn't question it. Not that I thought he would. He nodded and walked out. I immediately scrambled the cameras. I didn't know what was going to happen in this small room and not that I was planning to do anything. It was still too soon especially for Ashley. But whatever did happen, I wanted it to be just between her and me.

I watched as Ashley emptied the clip into the little paper 'man' target. She was good. All the shots were lined at the head and neck region. Ram was right. She was a natural. I waited until she put the gun down before stepping up behind her.

She took off the headphones which only made her look smaller and went to turn around. I had a grin on my face when she caught sight of me. She looked surprise for a minute, but a sincere smile crossed her sweet face.

"Hi Ranger." She greeted me. She was so damn beautiful. Even with the faded bruises marring her face. I took a deep breath to keep my anger at Yuri under control.

"Having fun?" I asked; nodding towards the gun and target.

She nodded. "I am. I didn't want to shoot a gun, but Ram talked me into it. He said it was relaxing and he was right. He's very convincing."

I kept the smile on my face because I didn't want to worry Ashley. But I was thinking of taking Ram to the mats. Shooting a weapon had better be the only thing he wanted to convince her to do. Again, I hated to get rid of my best sniper.

"Ram said you're a natural." I commented.

She blushed and I chuckled. She was so damn innocent. Sweet, innocent, and beautiful. What in the hell did she want with me? She was too good for me. But I didn't care. I wanted her and I was hoping she wanted me. Eventually I would find out.

"That's what Ram said, but I'm just enjoying myself. I really like you and the guys but I think I'll stick to gymnastics." She told me.

It took me all of two seconds to realize she was teasing me and I let out a bark of laughter. She smiled at me as I got her joke. When I finally stopped laughing, I nodded. "I think that is definitely a good idea. You're good at gymnastics." I assured her. I stepped into her personal space and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Although I have to say, you do look damn sexy with a gun in your hand." I pulled away to look in her eyes and her head immediately dropped to my shoulder. I didn't see the blush but I was pretty sure it was there.

I smiled more to myself than her. I didn't want to embarrass her too much so I changed the subject. "Why don't you show me how much you've learned." I suggested.

Her head shot up to look up at me and she nodded. "I can do that." She said before going back to gun. She showed me how Ram showed her to load and unload the gun. She showed me how Ram showed her how to stand and point. She slipped on the headphones then headed me a set. I took them; smiling. She grinned back before she lined up her shot and scored a perfect hit; between the eyes.

We both took off our headphones after she laid the gun down. She turned around to look at me. "Your turn." She announced; surprising me.

I smiled and nodded. I stepped up, replaced my phones; making sure she did the same before picking up the gun and taking a shot. I hit the exact spot she did. Turning to look at her, I show the shock on her face and I couldn't help but laugh.

She glared at me. "Don't laugh at me." She said sternly after taking off her headphones.

I took my phones off too as I stopped laughing. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at how damn adorable you are." I told her.

She blushed. "Will you show me how to do that?" She asked through the blush.

I nodded. After taking another shot; this one at the heart, I pulled Ashley to stand in front of me. I adjusted her body to fit snug against mine. I willed my hard on to go the hell away and it was difficult. Ashley picked up the gun and my hands immediately came up to grasp hers.

"All you have to do is sight your target. This time it would be the shot I just made." I started out. She quickly got the gun steady and straightened. I was hoping she was affected by how close our bodies were as I was. If not I was not gonna be happy. My cock wasn't paying any attention to me. It was giving Ashley its undivided attention. I shifted painfully and tightened my hands around Ashley's.

"Take the shot, Sweetness." I told her. She nodded and did so. When she did, she jumped. It was then I realized I had forgotten the headphones. She didn't have them on. I didn't either, but I was use to being around gun shots and blasts. I cursed myself for my carelessness.

Ashley winced. "I'm sorry, Ranger. I forgot." She said without turning to look at me. I took the gun from her hand and made it sure it was unloaded. I then turned her to face me. Cradling her face in my hands, I kissed her forehead.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I should have made sure." I assured her before asking. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "My ears are ringing a little bit, but I'm fine. I promise."

I brushed my lips softly across hers and pulled away. "Good. Come on. Let's go grab some lunch." I told her before grabbing the gun and bringing in the target. Once I got everything put away, I grabbed her hand and headed towards the elevator. Normally I would have taken the stairs but I wanted to try something and only the elevator would work.

We stepped onto the elevator and I used my key fob for the seventh floor. Ashley watched in silence. I didn't know what she was thinking. I just hoped it was good. I leaned back against the elevator wall and brought Ashley up against me. Her back to my front. She tensed for a moment but slowly relaxed against me. Her head fell back against my chest and she tilted her head back to meet my eyes.

"What's for lunch?" She asked; surprising me with that question.

I smiled. "I don't know, but it's probably healthy."

She smiled back. "That's good. I like healthy."

I nodded. "What's your favorite food?" I asked.

She drew that bottom lip in to chew as she thought. "Well that depends." She said.

I was intrigued. "On what?"

"What time of the day are we talking?" She questioned.

I laughed. "How about dinner?" I asked since I was planning on her having dinner with me.

She licked her lips and I mentally groaned. She had no idea how sexy she was. No idea at all. "Hamburgers." Was all she said.

"Hamburgers?"

She nodded. "I love a thick juicy hamburger. With cheese and lettuce and tomato. With ketchup and mustard."

"And french fries too?" I teased.

She moaned deep in her throat and my dick jumped in returned. That was seriously fucking sexy. "Don't tease me. I love french fries."

The tone of her voice and the look on her face, I would make sure she got those hamburgers and french fries. Even if I had to make them myself.

* * *

><p>"What do you want to do now?" I asked as I wiped the sweat from my neck with a hand towel. She looked deep in thought as she did the same with her towel.<p>

After we ate our grilled chicken salads, we watched a movie then headed to the gym to work out. On Ashley's suggestion. We did a few self defense moves that Santos had taught her and she got me on a balance beam where I learned I had no balance.

Yep, the bad ass bounty hunter in black is a klutz. But thankfully to a key fob that could scramble cameras and myself being the boss and ordering everyone out of the gym, no one knew but Ashley and myself. And she promised she wouldn't tell anybody my horrible secret.

"Can we leave the building?" She asked softly.

I was so tempted to tell her that we could go any where she wanted, but with Yuri now making himself known, I couldn't do it. At least not today. "No, we can not." I told her. I waited for the full rhino mode that Steph was known for when she didn't get her way, but Ashley smiled and nodded.

"Okay. How about we go swimming?" She suggested and I almost went back on my let's not leave the building. I didn't think I could control myself once I saw Ashley's small gorgeous body in a bathing suit.

But I forced myself to get over and nodded. "Sounds good." I told her.

She jumped up with a grin. "I'll go get my suit on and you get yours on. I'll meet at the pool." She said before smacking a kiss on my cheek and running out of the gym.

I headed out of the gym and started up the stairs. When I hit the fifth floor, Santos was coming out and headed towards the fourth floor. I nodded in acknowledgment and kept walking, but that was not what he had in mind.

"Been spending the day with my Baby Girl, huh?" He asked. I ignored the possessive tone in his voice and nodded as I faced him. He smiled. "Good. It's what she needs. You've been avoiding her." He accused.

My eyes narrowed. "I've been busy." I hissed. I have not been avoiding Ashley.

Santos laughed. "Whatever you say, Coz. When are you gonna bring her to meet the family?" He asked.

I raised an eyebrow; questioning his question. "What makes you think I want to?"

He rolled his eyes. "If you let this one go too, you are one major dumb ass." He told me before turning and jogging down the stairs.

I shook my head and jogged up to the seventh floor. I hadn't planned on letting Ashley go. I wanted to keep her around. For how long, I didn't know. I guess as long as she wanted to hang around.

Letting myself into my apartment, I stripped quickly. Since I didn't have much on, it didn't take long. I jumped in the shower and washed away the sweat and grime from our work out. While I did, I thought of Ashley and the future I wanted. I did want a future with her, I just didn't know how much of a future I wanted.

I know I didn't want to see her with another man. It didn't matter who, I just didn't want see it. I also didn't want rejection. Once in a lifetime was enough for me and if she rejected me, I didn't think I could handle it. It hurt enough with Steph and I already knew my feelings for Ashley were growing stronger every day. Way stronger than they ever were for Steph.

Stepping out of the shower, I dried off quickly. I slipped into a pair of black swim trunks-yes black-grabbed a towel and almost ran down the stairs to the basement. I was anxious to see what bathing suit Ashley was wearing. Would it be a colorful one piece or a barely there bikini?

What I found surprised me and at the same time, it did not. She was wearing a modest one piece. It was black and had RangeMan in small purple letters over her left breast. Ella's work. Should have known. Maybe I should talk to Ella about getting Ashley a whole line of clothes with my name on them. Then every one would know she belong to me.

I shook my head from those thoughts and whistled. She blushed the brightest shade of pink yet and I grinned. "You look good in my name, Sweetness." I told her. I still didn't know where exactly I got her nickname from, but it seem to fit her well. And she didn't complain.

"Thank you. You look pretty darn good yourself." She told me as she placed her towel on one of the loungers by the pool. I placed my towel beside hers before placing my hands on her small hips and pulling her into me so she was nestled in the vee of my groin and settled against my erection. She once again came willingly and it felt good. She blushed again when I was sure she felt my throbbing cock against her stomach and I couldn't stop the grin that came over me.

"You think I'm gorgeous, huh?" I teased her.

Instead of blushing, she laughed. "Oh no you don't. I'm not feeding your ego. Isn't it big enough?' She replied.

I couldn't resist. She set it up for me so well. I pressed myself into her and grinned. "Are you sure it's big enough?" I asked.

She threw her head back and laughed. It felt good to get her to laugh for me. She was slowly opening up and it felt great. She still blushed but something told me that even after I took her bed, she would still blush.

She rolled her eyes and pulled away from me. I yanked her back and quickly sealed my mouth over hers. I teased and tasted her until she went limp in my arms. She wound her arms around my neck and kissed me back. I dipped my tongue in to run across her teeth and caress the inside of her mouth. When her tongue came out to play, I knew I had better stop or I wasn't gonna be able to.

I slowed down the kiss and pulled away. She gave a slight whimper and I couldn't help the smug smile that crossed my face. I wanted her to be just as affected as I was and she was.

She smiled. "Whoever gets ten laps finished first, wins!" She all of a sudden shouted and dove into the pool. I was completely caught off guard. How in the hell did she to be so calm after a kiss that rocked me to my toes. My eyes zeroed in on the pint size minx. She was so going down.

I jumped in the pool and grabbed her in one fluid motion. She came up laughing and giggling. It felt good to see her laughing after that bastard had done to her. She was letting herself enjoy being with us; around us. My plan was too keep Ashley around for good. I would just make sure that every one knew she would belong to me. Yep, that was now my plan. I wasn't gonna change it.

I threw Ashley over my shoulder and she came up sputtering. I started towards her and she held up her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I really wanna do laps. Cal and me usually try to get at least ten in a day." She informed me; her breathing a little ragged.

That bit of information yet surprised me again. I had no idea that my employees were spending so much time with her. And in a bathing suit no less. I couldn't help it, I had to ask.

"You wore a bathing suit in front of Cal." I made it in more of a statement.

Ashley looked taken back by that, but she nodded. "Ella bought me five bathing suits. Two in black, one in purple, one in red, and one in blue. All of them have RangeMan embroidered on them." She replied. She shrugged. "Actually it seems a lot of my clothes lately seem to have RangeMan on them. I still have my clothes, but my closet in the apartment you let me borrow has filled up with black clothes."

I smiled. I needed to give Ella a raise. "Do you mind?" I asked.

Ashley shook her head. "No. I like them. They're comfy."

"Good. Are you ready to race?" I asked.

She grinned and nodded. "I am."

"Ten laps. Winner gets to choose dinner." I offered. Unbeknownst to her, I had called Ella earlier and we were having grilled cheeseburgers with the works and home made french fries. So I didn't plan on losing.

Ashley nodded. "Deal." We shook hands, swam to the edge of the pool and took off. I swam two laps and looked over at Ashley. She was moving through the water like a fish. I swam four more laps and glanced up to find Ashley gone. I stopped immediately and looked around. She was sitting on the edge of pool holding her right leg bent to her chest and look of pain on her face.

I swam over to her and hopped up to sit beside her. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She grimaced. "A cramp in my leg."

The leg she was holding was the one that had the deep gash in it from her attack. I remember Bobby saying that it had been deeply bruised. Way under the skin. It has only been about two weeks since Yuri's attack on her, so I had a feeling it was hurting more from that than an actual cramp.

"How about we go upstairs, eat dinner, and I'll give ya a massage." I offered. Yes it would help her but I felt guilty because it was more for me. I couldn't wait to get my hands all over her body.

She frowned at me. "You don't have to do that."

I gave her a soft smile. "I know. I want to. Trust me."

She chewed on her lower lip for a few minutes to the point I thought she was gonna say no. "Okay." She finally agreed and I wanted to shout with joy. I shook my head. When did I want to shout with anything? Damn, I was losing my mind.

I got up and helped Ashley to her feet. We walked over to our towels and quickly dried off. Ashley then pulled a black RangeMan t-shirt over her head. I didn't bring a shirt with me since I hadn't planned on putting one on. She needed to get use to seeing me without one, because it was something she was gonna see a lot.

We used the elevator since her leg was hurting. She thanked me with a smile as we climbed on. The elevator stopped on the fifth floor and I let out a sigh of annoyance. And when the door opened, my annoyance spiked to an all new high. Standing there was Santos, Brown, Ram, Hal, Cal, Hector, Tank, and Manny. They each one wanted a damn hug. Ashley grinned, blushed, and gave them all a hug. I guess I should have been thankful the rest of RangeMan was working. Or I would have been stuck there longer. Ashley said good bye and I quickly made the doors shut.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. It was so soft, I barely heard her.

"Not your fault. You're beautiful and sweet. I get it." I replied.

She watched me for a minute before nodding. Something told me she thought I was upset. I wasn't or at least not with her. I did understand my employees. She was a sweet and beautiful girl who was nice and accepted them all. They loved her in return.

We hit the seventh floor apartment and the smell of hamburgers filled the air. She took a deep breath and big smile lit up her face.

"You had Ella make burgers." She said as she faced me.

I nodded. "Guilty." I told her.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed. "Thank you so much. I haven't had hamburgers in forever."

I hugged her back; unable to resist. Neither could the bothersome erection in my pants. He was gonna have to wait. She wasn't ready for him.

I ushered her into my apartment and she inhaled again. We entered the kitchen, dropped our towels on the back of the bar stools, and I ordered Ashley to sit down. She did so without a word. The hamburgers had her occupied. She licked her lips and I mentally groan. She was any guy's walking wet dream. But for me she was a living one. I had the hardest erection I had ever before and we haven't even done anything but kiss.

I nodded to myself as I grabbed our plates from the oven. I was gonna die once I actually got inside her.

"Ooooo, fries too. And they're home made too." She squealed with glee. I laughed. "Do I thank you or Ella?" She asked.

"How about the both of us?"

She nodded. "I can do that." She replied.

I sat down next to her and went to dig in. Ashley leaned over and kissed my cheek; her hand on my arm. "Thank you Ranger." She said.

I turned my head and brushed a kiss across her mouth. "You're welcome."

She grinned and dug into her food with gusto. "When was the last time you had a burger?" I had to ask.

She paused; thinking. "It's been a while. Since leaving Keith, I haven't thought about it and while with him." She stopped and sighed. "Well, he was a jerk and told me I didn't need to eat a greasy burger." She said then took a huge bite.

I swallowed my mouthful to only frown. "Your ex was an ass, wasn't he?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. He just wanted me to do my best in gymnastics." She replied.

Yea, he wanted her to do her best because he benefited from it. Her ex was an asshole and a dumb bastard. She worked hard every day. From sun up til sun down, I don't think she ever quit moving. She needed a greasy burger at least once a week, maybe once a day. Her body was perfect.

I nodded. "When was the last time you talk to your parents?" I asked.

She swallowed. "The night I was attacked. I called them before I left for the gym. They're still upset with me for leaving. They don't agree with Keith or what he did, but they want me home."

"Do you want to go home?" I asked; hoping for a negative.

She shook her head which relaxed me. "They're too over protective. I'm not able to do anything or go anywhere. Even though I'm twenty four years old, they treat me like a baby."

"You are their baby. They don't want nothing to happen to you." I said as I finished my burger and the last of my fries. I glanced down at my plate in horror. Did I eat all that? Damn, I must have been hungry. I don't think I even tasted it.

Ashley- beside me -snorted. "They didn't want anything to happen to their gymnastics child, not me the person. But I'm okay." She smiled and I knew she was. She didn't mind that her parents didn't really care what happened to her. She was use to it. That sadden me.

I got up and put away my dirty dishes. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. Finish your dinner. Don't leave." I told her once I turned around.

She swallowed her food and nodded. "Yes sir." She teased.

I walked over, grasped her chin in my hand, and brushed another light kiss across her pouty lips. This time however she tried to kiss me back by deepening the small caress. I growled against her mouth and she giggled.

"You're gonna be the death of me." I admitted.

She blushed. "Yea but what a way to go."

I shook my head and laughed all the way to the shower.

* * *

><p>"Where do you want me?" She asked.<p>

I chuckled. What a loaded question. I pointed to my king size bed. "On your stomach." I ordered.

She pursed her lips and nodded. Wearing a pair of panties that I couldn't see and my black Armani silk shirt, she laid down. Flat on her stomach. Her hair was damp and flowing around her shoulders.

I promised her a massage and I was going to stick with my promise. So after I took my shower, I offered the use of my bathroom for her own. She politely accepted and when I went searching for something for her to wear, I found a pile of clothes for her. Thank God for Ella. I gave Ashley a pair of the panties which were also black and before I could stop myself, my shirt. I loved seeing her in it. She looked beautiful, sensual, and sexy as hell.

She looked so damn small in the middle of my huge ass bed that I couldn't help but smile and feel a little overwhelmed. I just never wanted to hurt her and something told me that I could.

I pulled some sweet smelling lotion into my hands, sat down on the bed next to her and started with her feet. Working the lotion into her skin as I worked my way up. Ashley moaning with every inch I moved. Her skin was soft as silk and creamy white. My dark Cuban hands on her milk white legs were erotic. By the time I reached her neck, I was so hard I didn't think I was ever gonna be able to wear a pair of pants again.

She asked me questions as I worked. What made me open a security company? Was it fun while hard-working or nothing but work? How did I hire such great guys? Did I know before hand or was I surprised? Where did I meet Tank? And how? Was Lester really family? And her 'do you really claim him in front of strangers' had me laughing. Her and Lester had a special relationship just as Steph and Lester did. Ashley liked him and he liked her. I was okay with that.

When I finished with her neck, I moved away and told her to turn over. She did slowly; half asleep. Once again I started with her feet but something had me stopping. Instead, I kissed her instep. She tensed when I did. "Relax Sweetness. Nothing is gonna happen. I promise." I assured her.

She slowly relaxed and when she did I kissed her other instep. I kissed and nipped my way up her left leg and then went back down and started with the right. She was so relaxed and out of it, but not asleep that her legs were laid open and I had perfect access. I kissed her inner left thigh before turning to her right. The gash Yuri had left was healing. Only a slight bruise remained along with the actual cut. I placed my mouth right above the gash and nipped. Ashley jumped then moaned. I took my cue from her. I sucked the small patch of skin in my mouth between my teeth. I suckled gently as not to hurt her and when I came away I licked the spot. She moaned low in her throat and I smiled. I marked her inner thigh to claim her as mine, I didn't know why. But as I saw that small spot start to darken, I felt a sense of rightness.

I could barely make out the wet spot on her black panties and I growled and groaned and cursed myself. I should have known it would turn her on, but I knew she wasn't ready for anything more.

I went back to her feet, pour lotion into my hand, and went back to massaging her tender flesh.

"Ranger?" Her voice quiet in the almost dark room.

"Yea."

"What was that for?"

"You didn't like it?"

She giggled. "I liked it a lot." She admitted. "I just wanted to know why you did it."

"A promise."

I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "A promise of what?"

"A promise of what is to come between you and me." I answered simply.

"Oh."

I waited for more but nothing came. I massaged up her left leg and when I reached her thigh, she spoke.

"Ranger?"

"Yea."

"Tell me about your family. Please." Her voice was just as relaxed as her body and I could tell she was almost asleep. So I told her about my family. I told her about growing up with two of the greatest parents ever. Growing up with an older brother and three older sisters along with a little sister. I told her about school and entering the army. I told her about summers with my grandparents and fishing in the Atlanta Ocean with my Grandfather. I told her about my first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first heartbreak, and my first time. I talked and massaged her and watched as her body became more and more relaxed.

She finally gave a shudder and I knew she could no longer stay awake. I climbed off her small form and laid down beside her. I pulled her tight against me and covered us both up. She snuggled against me; her head on my bicep.

"Ranger?" Her voice was barely there.

"Yea."

"I really like you." She said before giving another shudder and going back to sleep. I smiled in the dark. "I like you too."


	13. Doctor's Visit

Disclaimer: Haven't said this in a while so... None of these are mine except for Ashley. All belong to JE... :-(

Doctor's Visit

Ranger's POV-

A knock on my office door was the only thing that was able to pull me from my thoughts and it wasn't really a knocking as more of a pounding on the door. I quickly barked out for the idiot who was beating on my door to enter my domain. But my thoughts went right back to the beginning. I shuffled through the papers and pictures on my desk. I should have known this was going to happen, but I was hoping that it wouldn't. I didn't want to go. I really didn't want to leave Ashley.

Last night ended well and I enjoyed every minute of yesterday with Ashley. She was a very compassionate, sweet, and loving person. She usually seems like the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, but due to everything that has happened to her in the past year, she guards her feelings and her heart; not letting anyone in. I was determined to not only get in, but settled myself in permanently.

Yesterday I started getting closer to her and my leaving would not help. Oh they assured me that if I left by noon today, then I could be back within thirty-two to forty-eight hours. Didn't matter to me if I was gonna be back in a few hours, I didn't want to leave. I trusted my employees immensely. There was no question of that. But the man after Ashley was a different player than normal. And she was in serious danger.

"Ranger!"

Snapping my head back so hard and so fast, I could have gotten whiplash. I glared at my second in command.

"What?" The one word hissed through my clenched teeth. I was pissed and Tank knew, but he still felt brave enough to fuck with me. Go ahead.

"You going?" He asked; already knowing the answer.

"You know I don't have a choice. I'm leaving in the next hour."

"She'll be fine, Range Man."

I let out a small breath that with any normal person would consider a sigh of surrender or giving up. I wasn't doing either one. I knew she would be okay, but the question was; would I?

"I know this."

"Then what's your problem?" Tank asked.

I didn't answer right away. I didn't know. Or maybe I didn't fully understand. I just had this dreaded feeling that if I left than something would happen. After spending the day to get to know her; talking with her, laughing with her, teasing her, and giving her that damn hickey. If I left, would all of that had been for nothing? My gut feeling was no, but I still had this trepidation over leaving.

"I don't have a problem. I'm leaving." I told him as I stood up and began straightening my desk.

Ranger, we'll protect her. We'll keep her safe. And before you know it, you'll be back here where you belong." Tank said. I knew what he was doing but in reality it didn't help.

I nodded my acknowledgment and walked out my office. I would be back within two days. With my employees watching over my business and Ashley, what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I shivered under the hot spray of water, but it wasn't from the cold. I couldn't stop thinking about my day with Ranger. I had gotten to know him so well yesterday. He actually laughed with me and he teased me. He opened up to me about his family. From what every body says here at RangeMan, he never talks about his family or his personal life and he never laughs either. So why did he with me?

What could a man like that want with a girl like me? He was virile, masculine, powerful, trustworthy, faithful, sweet, generous, sexy, loving, and wealthy. The man was so rich, he could buy and sell me several times over. I had money. From day one I was a trust fund baby, but in all my years of gymnastics I had made my own too. But he was still more wealthy than me. He could easily have his pick over any woman he wanted.

But still, what in the world could he see in me. I barely stood over five feet tall, I was small in every aspect of my body except my tummy. It was no longer flat since I had been eating more and working out less after my accident. I had brown hair and brown eyes and a very forgetful face. Ranger had the most gorgeous brown eyes and the silkiest long dark locks. I should run in the opposite direction when it came to him, but my feet were glued to the floor.

I found myself wanting to hear him talk just so I can hear his voice. It doesn't matter to me what he's saying. He could talk about the weather, I just wanted to hear that deep sensual voice. I wanted talk to him just so I could see if I could make him laugh. His laugh sent a tremor of awareness down my spine and I wanted to hear it again and again. I wanted to make him smile. Just so I could watch that perfect mouth tilt upward and watch the corners of his eyes wrinkle with that grin. His eyes would light up with playfulness and mischief. Oh and speaking of those eyes, they were so soulful that those brown eyes could easily drag me into their depths. Drag me so far deep that I never wanted to look away.

He had this way about him that made me want to tell him all my secrets. Including the one where Keith told me I sucked in bed. Why would I want to tell a strong alpha male who screams sex God that I'm frigid in the sack. Snorting, I shook my head. I didn't, but he made me want to whisper all my secrets and a little more. Not only did I want to tell him my secrets, but I wanted to hear all of his. Not just the big ones like his most embarrassing moment but the little ones like what's his weakness. Was is chocolate, caramel, or maybe whip cream? Or maybe his weakness wasn't a food at all. Maybe it was a favorite drink or a television show. Oh or even a movie.

I wanted to meet his family. As he talked about them last night, I found myself feeling envious. I wanted that family connection. I grew up with great parents; most of the time. But he grew up in such a tight knit family that I couldn't help but imagine what that would have been like. His parents spent every holiday making sure that him and his brother and his sisters had the best time. They always made sure that they never felt neglected or left out. They even made sure that each one got special times alone. What parent does that? I was an only child and I barely saw my parents. Unless I was in gymnastics meet. His family sounded wonderful and I hoped one day I got the privilege to meet them.

I stepped out of the shower and dried quickly off. Wrapping the towel around my slim form, I walked into the master bedroom of my temporary fourth floor apartment. I loved it here, but I seriously loved Ranger's apartment so much more. It was tastefully decorated without being too sterile or too over done. But my favorite thing about his apartment? Well him of course or at least the spirit of him. You could feel him in the place. His smell danced around the room teasing the senses of anyone who dare enter.

When I woke up this morning, I knew he had already left. Even though I could still feel his presence in the apartment. Almost see him walking out of the shower and into his huge walk-in closet. If I closed my eyes, I could hear the sound of his cargoes being pulled up and then the rasp of a zipper filled the silent room. I could still feel his aura next to me as he leaned down to kiss my forehead good bye. I wasn't hundred percent sure he actual did it, but I was sure the imprint of his lips was still there.

I grabbed a pair of white cotton panties and a matching bra and slipped them on. I had nothing planned for today so it was casual wear for me today. I might head to the gym to work off some of the frustration that I occurred last night in the solid presence of Ranger. I sat down on the bed and let more shivers over take my body. At the same time, I tried to wish them away. When Ranger offered to give me a massage, I hesitated. Just him being around me got me all hot and bothered. I didn't know if I could handle his strong warm hands on my body.

I was comfortable with my body in the company of other people; friends and strangers a like. Walking around in a leotard every day, I had to quickly get use to it. Being naked in front of others is a major different story. I couldn't do that. And although I wasn't naked in front of Ranger, he made me feel naked and vulnerable. He was the perfect gentleman last night as he oiled up his hands and began to massage and knead the tension right out of my legs. It felt so good and Ranger talking only made it better. I still can't believe how much he shared with me last night. But what really got me excited; more excited than I have ever been in my life is when he kissed his way up both my legs.

Letting another shudder of delight curl its way down my body, I remember those lips; that tongue and those teeth. He lick here, suck there, nip it quick, and then kiss it away. I forced myself to stay absolutely still for I was scared to death if I made any moves, I would jump his bones and ask him to let me ride him well into the morning. As I didn't completely understand the kisses and the small hickey he placed inside my thigh, but I didn't think he wanted me jumping his body. I really didn't think he would like if I went screaming on the top of my lungs for him to take me either.

But that hickey placed so sweetly on the inside of my thigh made me so wet, so hot, and so horny. I don't think I have ever felt that way in my entire life. I don't think Ranger noticed the wet spot on my black panties and for that I was thankful. If he had noticed I probably would have died of embarrassment. Glancing down at the hickey on my thigh, I smiled. I couldn't believe I had a hickey. I don't think in my entire life, I have ever had a hickey. A love bite. Giggling to myself, I got up and went in search of my camera. It was a completely dumb idea but I wanted a picture of it. My first hickey ever by the sexiest man alive. Yes I had to have a picture.

I grabbed my camera and returned to my bathroom. The steam had disappeared so the lighting made it perfect. It took several shots but I finally got it. And I could actually tell what it was. A hickey from Ranger. I couldn't stop laughing. I just took a picture of a hickey that Ranger gave me. Ranger! I didn't know where our relationship was headed especially since he was in love with Stephanie, but I would cherish our day together for the rest of my life.

The apartment phone started ringing; pulling me from my thoughts. I jogged into the living room and grabbed the receiver. "Hello."

"How are you today, Baby Girl?" The man on the other end asked. I grinned when I recognized Lester's voice.

"I'm doing good. And you?" I replied.

"Better now that I'm talking to the most beautiful woman in Trenton."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Oh Lester, you smooth talker you."

He laughed and I laughed with him. Lester was such a player but I felt comfortable around him. "How soon can you be ready, Gorgeous?" He asked once his laughter came to an end.

"I don't know. Ten minutes, fifteen tops. Why?"

"A nurse from the doctor at the hospital called and he wants a full check up on you. Just to make sure everything is healing correctly."

"I thought Bobby was technically my doctor?"

"He can only do so much. They need to make sure that everything is healing properly and that Bobby is doing his job correctly." He answered.

I snorted. "Of course he is. Bobby is the best."

"I'm wounded Baby Girl. I thought I was the best."

I giggled. "You're a goof ball, Lester. I'll be ready in fifteen minutes since I just got out of the shower."

"I'll be there."

"Is Ranger coming?" I couldn't stop the question from coming out of my mouth.

"Ranger had to go out of town for a few days. He'll be back soon though."

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and gnawed. Ranger left? I took a deep breath. I'm sure everything is okay. I'm sure he's okay. He would come back safe and sound. Once again the RangeMan building constantly talked about Ranger and him going 'in the wind'. I didn't really understand that, but I think I'm getting it now. The important thing was to remember that he was tough and he was a survivor. He would be okay.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you." I told Lester before we said good bye and hung up. I walked back into the bedroom; stripping as I went. If I was going to the doctor; if I was leaving the RangeMan building I wanted to look good. Even though not a soul could see my undies, my pretty lingerie made me feel beautiful. I wasn't really too fond of doctors, so I needed a confident booster. This should do it.

I pulled out a pair of lavender lace boy shorts and the bra that matched it. I shimmied into them before going to my closet and looking around. I finally decided on a light blue sun dress with white roses dotting the bottom of the dress. It was a darker shade of light blue so the lavender bra didn't stand out. It made me feel beautiful and utterly feminine.

I pulled my hair back into a pony tail, slid a blue penny blossom barrette on the left side of my head and grinned. I loved my penny blossoms. Every last one of them which the last time I counted was at least thirty. It could be more now. I have them in every last color. Love my penny blossoms.

As I polished my lips with my favorite lip gloss, a knock sounded on my door. I smiled. My good friend and body guard had arrived.

* * *

><p>"How are you feeling?" The doctor asked as I sat on top of the little examination table in a light green ugly gown.<p>

I nodded. "I'm feeling pretty good. A little soreness in my legs, but otherwise good."

The doctor, Dr. Bennett nodded in return. "I have to say, you're looking quite well. The gashes on your legs, arms, stomach, and head are healing nicely with minimal scarring. Do you place bandages on them at night or during the day?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "Neither. I just doctored them and left them open in the air." I told him.

He clucked his tongue. "You could have received an infection from dirt, dust, or any other partials floating in the air."

I glanced over at Lester and grinned at him before facing the doctor once more. "Doubtful, Doc. I live in a building that is cleaner than this office. I never leave it. I can't as of right now." I told him. I was pretty sure he knew about my attacker, but if he did he didn't say anything.

He shrugged. "Well whatever you are doing, don't stop. Everything looks good." He looked down at his chart and back at me. "Anything else?" He asked.

I went to chewing on my lip and nodded. I turned to look at Lester. "Could you please leave? This is really private and I don't wanna share it." I pleaded with him. He had stayed with me throughout the entire examination; only turning his back when I had to open my gown so the doctor could see the cuts on my stomach. But the questions I had for the doctor was a little more than I wanted to share with Lester.

He nodded. "I'll be right outside the door. Once you get dressed, just come on out." He said and I nodded. He bent to place a kiss on my forehead then walked out of the office.

The doctor waited until the door clicked shut. "Everything okay?"

I nodded. "I just wanted to get on some form of birth control." I told him.

He smiled. "Of course. What form? The pill? The shot? Or one of the other many methods we have?"

"What would you recommend?" I asked.

"The shot. You get one every six months and we call you so you don't have to remember."

I smiled. "Sounds good to me. I hate needles, but I'll deal."

"I'll be right back." He replied and quickly left the office.

I took a deep breath and stood up. I seriously didn't think I would need this ugly gown anymore so I walked to the mini bathroom in the exam room and slipped off the gown. As I was pulling on my bra, I heard something from the exam room. I opened the door to make sure the doctor hadn't come back in, but I didn't see him. I shrugged and shut the door to the bathroom. I pulled my dress back on and then checked my hair in the mirror. A few strands had come lose, but I left them alone. They added character I thought.

I reapplied my lip gloss before opening the bathroom door and re-entered the exam room. I had an eerie feeling and turned around to look behind me. Coming face to face with those evil blue eyes, I opened my mouth to scream but never got the chance. His large hands curled around my throat and began to squeeze. I couldn't breath as his hands tightened and he lifted me off my feet. My vision began to blur. I kicked at his legs and scratched as his head, but his hold never broken. My last thought was Ranger, Lester, and the rest of my friends at RangeMan.


	14. In And Out

In And Out

Lester's POV-

Ashley turned her brown eyes on me and I fought my grin. "Could you please leave? This is really private and I don't wanna share it." She pleaded with me. I didn't want to leave. Everything in me told me to stay, but she had her right to privacy. Bobby, Ram, Junior, Hector, and myself included searched the doctor's office and grounds surrounding the place. We found nothing suspicious so I knew I need not to worry.

I nodded. "I'll be right outside the door. Once you get dressed, just come on out." I said and she nodded. I walked over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead then walked out of the office. But I didn't go far. I stationed myself outside the door like a soldier ready for a fight. And if anything was to harm Ashley, I would fight until I died. But there was no windows in the exam room or the small bathroom attached. There was only one way in or out and I was guarding it.

I turned my head when the doctor came out of the exam room. He nodded my way. "We're almost done." He stated before walking off.

I was pretty sure she was gonna ask for birth control. Coming from the Manoso family, I knew we were pretty irresistible. But that idea was shattered when the doctor came out of the room a few minutes after I did. Since I was pretty sure if she had asked for birth control, she would have had to have a full out exam and he wasn't in there long enough for that.

It was completely quiet in the large, but well known clinic. There wasn't a sound coming from Ashley's exam room either. So maybe she was getting ready for the doctor's return or she was getting ready to leave. I was fighting the urge to knock on her door when the doctor returned to the long hall way I was standing in. He nodded in my direction and I nodded in reply. He was carrying a syringe in his left hand and holding a folder in his right. Maybe she asked for a flu shot. I guess I wouldn't know until I asked her.

The doctor went in the room and came out with a frown a second later. "Did she leave?" He asked.

My eyes widen and I immediately panicked. My breathing was coming in short pants as I having trouble trying to take in a breath. I pushed the doctor out of my way and ran into the examination room Ashley was supposed to be in. It was completely empty.

I turned to confront the doctor. "Where the hell is she?" I yelled. "Where the fuck is she, Doctor?" I asked him once more as I grabbed him the lapels of the coat and dragged him to me. "Where?"

I was screaming so loud that the small exam room door became filled with nurses. The doctor stuttered but he wasn't making any sense. I tried to reel in my control but it was long gone. I kept my hold on the doctor as I turned my attention to the nurses. "In the lobby, there is going to be four men dressed in all black with RangeMan on the shirt. Get them in here. Now." I ordered them and they ran away; not wanting to deal with my wrath. I was beyond pissed and my control had left. I was a walking talking machine that would kill until I got Ashley in my arms.

It didn't matter that she wasn't my woman. I knew she was family or was going to become family. She was important to not only me and RangeMan but to my cousin. She was in the hands of a cold blooded killer and it was my fault. I had no one to blame but myself. I needed to find her.

I turned my deadly look on the doctor and lifted him a little higher in the air. "Where is she?" I asked; my voice barely a whisper.

"I-I-I-I h-h-h-have n-n-n-no i-i-idea." He fumbled with the words. I lifted him higher and slammed his body against the wall.

"One more time. I'm only gonna ask one. More. Time. Where the hell is she?"

He swallowed. "I really don't know. I just left to get the shot she asked for."

"What shot is that?"

"A birth control shot." He replied. However before I could ask any more questions, Bobby, Ram, Junior, and Hector burst into the room.

"What the hell, Santos?"

"Where the hell is Ashley?" Ram asked; immediately noticing her absence.

I kept the doctor where he was at, but turned to look at my co-workers and friends. I quickly explained to them what had happened before barking out orders. "Junior, call Tank. Tell him what's going on? We need people on Stark and Third Street like yesterday. Get them patrolling." I told him; sounding a lot more calmer than I was feeling. He nodded and walked out of the room. "Hector and Ram start searching this building and any and all surrounding buildings. Don't leave anything unturned." They nodded and run in the opposite direction.

"Bobby, I need your help with him." I told Bobby. My blood was boiling and my fists were clenching around the lapels of the doctor's jacket. I was itching for a fight and I was so hoping this doctor would give it to me.

Even though Bobby, Ram, Hector, and Junior appeared calm and sane on the outside, I knew differently. They were just as pissed as I was and spoiling for a fight. They all had their blank faces on; hiding their emotions. I wasn't. I let the anger and rage show on my face and in my eyes. I wanted the doctor to be scared. I wanted him terrified.

Bobby stepped up and collected the doctor's attention. "Where is she?" He asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I promise I have no idea. She wanted a birth control shot and since everything was up to date, I was gonna give her one. I promise I have no idea where she is. Please don't hurt me." He rambled it together, he was that scared.

I looked at Bobby. "What do you think, Bobby? Is he telling the truth?" I asked.

He nodded. "About her records, yes." He stated then began to look around. As he looked around, I kept the doctor where he was. I watched as Bobby opened the bathroom door then shut it soon after. He looked up and cursed. I followed his eyes.

"Son of a bitch." I hissed out and released the doctor. He fell to the floor in a crumble heap of relief.

I joined Bobby underneath the vent that I was pretty sure Yuri used in getting in and out without anyone knowing.

"Give me a lift up, Lester." Bobby said and I nodded in return. I boosted him up and the metal grate moved with ease. Bobby went up and into the vent and I could hear him cursing.

"What?" I called up.

Bobby's head appeared. "There's blood."

My head went to spinning and I felt sick. "How much?" I asked; dreading the answer.

"Not a lot. She's still alive. She has to be."

"God Bobby, we have to find her."

He nodded. "And fast."

* * *

><p>Tank's POV-<p>

"Report."

I looked around the small room where most of RangeMan had gathered. After searching the clinic, Stark Street, Third Street, and pretty much the rest of Trenton, we came up empty. We were all tired and feeling ragged. However we were no where near giving up.

"We searched every hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast in the city of Trenton. He's gone. We can't find him."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and fought the urge to scream. All of us had lost our famous self-control. We were fighting the urge to scream, the urge to fight, and the urge to kill with every fiber of our being. She was a part of us just as Steph was. We couldn't let nothing to happen to Ashley, but right now we were lost and no idea where to turn.

"She has to be somewhere. Was anything found at the clinic?" I managed to ask through clenched teeth.

Ram shook his head. "All we found was some blood. Her purse was found in the same place she left it when she entered the examination room. There was no other hint of how he got her out without a sound found."

"Then what are the chances she's even still alive?" Zero asked and all eyes turned on him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Santos snapped. He started to charge at Zero, but Ram and Cal grabbed him.

"She's still alive. He wants her alive." Hal said softly.

Most of the room nodded in agreement with Hal. He did want her alive and we were gonna focus on that. I took a deep breath. "What about her cell phone?" I asked.

"In her purse." Ram replied.

"Any trackers on her?" I asked Hector. He shook his head and I muttered a curse.

We all knew what would happen if we didn't find Ashley soon. We knew what kind of danger she was in. But I as looked around the room Santos, Bobby, and Hal seem to be taking her kidnapping a little harder. They got to see just as I did first hand at what this bastard had done to her. How scared she had been and how much he had beaten her just for a few minutes. There was no telling what he had done now that she had missing for several hours. We could only hope for her safe return.

We were all beating ourselves over what had happened. I blamed myself personally since I had allowed the trip to the doctor. But Yuri had went into hiding so we thought it would be okay. She hadn't left the building for weeks before this. So how in the hell did he know she left today.

"This is all my FAULT!" Lester hollered before throwing a chair across the room which missed Manny's head by mere inches.

"Santos, this is not your fault." I tried to tell him, but he wasn't listening. He picked up another chair and hurled it at the plate glass window in the conference room.

"I was right outside the fucking DOOR!" He bellowed as another chair went sailing through the air. Most of the men had left the room; fearing for their own safety. The ones that still remained were crouching low to the floor.

One of the newbies, Daniel snickered. "Ranger is gonna be so pissed." He muttered under his breath.

I had hoped Santos hadn't heard, but when his head whipped around, all my hope was lost. Santos' eyes narrowed and filled with more fury. He advanced on the newbie so fast, Daniel almost fell on his ass. Santos grabbed a fistful of shirt and slammed him against the wall. I didn't stop it, I just let it go.

"You think I'm worried about Ranger! You think I'm concerned about Ranger! I'll take whatever punishment Ranger doles out to me, but don't think for one minute that I'm worried about Ranger." He spat his face before slamming him into the wall once more. "I'm worried about the sweet, innocent woman that's in the clutches of one of meanest bastards out there because of me. He's probably out there right now, beating the shit out of her. Raping her for his own amusement. Torturing her because he can." Santos growled low in his throat and something inside him snapped and his fist reared back and slammed into Daniel's face.

It all seem to happen in slow motion as he punched Daniel again and again. I raced over there in a panic as did Ram, Cal, Bobby, Vince, Hal, and Zip. We grabbed Santos and pulled him away from Daniel who was now bleeding profusely.

I shoved Daniel in Bobby's direction. "Get him cleaned up." I told Bobby who nodded, grabbed Daniel and dragged him off. Daniel whining the whole way. I rolled my eyes. Dumb ass should have kept his mouth shut. But I was pretty sure that's exactly what Santos needed. To let off a little steam. A little anger. Santos had settled himself against the wall; breathing hard and covered in blood. His eyes were closed and I knew he was fighting to rein in his control.

My cell phone started ringing and everyone in the room stopped. They stopped moving, they stopped talking, they stopped breathing. I unclipped it from my belt and glanced at the screen. Better now than later and I answered my phone.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I felt the pain first then I felt the cold. Pain and coldness was all I could feel. Everything hurt but my throat was the worst. Oh how long had I been out this time.

"Просыпаться. Проснись глупая шлюха. Wake up." He spat out. His breath was horrible, but his hands were worse. He was cold as ice and mean. (wake up. Wake up stupid whore.)

I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep away the pain.

His hands curled around my throat and he slammed my head against the hard surface I was on. It didn't feel like concrete, but I couldn't be sure.

"I said wake up!" He shouted into my face.

My eyes opened and their first sight was his cold evil eyes. So cold. He smiled but it only held evil. Pure evil.

"Good. I like you awake." He taunted before his fingers gripped tighter around my throat. Oh no. Please not again. His fingers tightened and I couldn't hold on. The more he did this the less I was able to fight against the darkness. Against the blackness.

Ranger's face was the last thing I remember but it was Yuri's evil laugh I heard as the blackness once again took over.


	15. By The Hour

By The Hour

Warning: Slight Warning Against Violence

Tank's POV- Eight Hours Missing

We were all going through the motions, but we weren't really there. Ranger surprised me when I told him. I heard his sharp intake of breath, but after a curt 'find her' he hung up the phone. When I hung up the phone, everyone looked at me and waited. I just put them to work. Ranger was probably in shock and once he snapped out of it, we were in for it.

Once again my troops lined up in front of me waiting to report what they had found. I hope they had good news.

"Report." I gave my one word command.

Santos and Brown stepped forward first. "We searched the left side of Stark Street. We knocked on every day and showed both Ashley and Yuri's picture. If anybody saw either one, they're not talking." Brown spoke. Santos hadn't said much since beating Daniel's face bloody.

I nodded and faced my second group. Ram and Cal were two of my biggest bad asses and they were scary as hell together. "We searched each and every room of the Bargain Motel and the Rooms for Cheap dump on Stark. Knocking on every door and showing Ashley and Yuri's picture. We had a hit with Yuri's snap shot but it was from over two weeks ago. So no luck." Ram stated.

I was really trying not to give up but eight hours and she was still missing. I was losing any and all hope that she would be alive when and if we found her. By now there is no telling what that son of a bitch has done to her. I nodded once more and turned my attention to my third group.

Hal, Manny, and Hector were three totally different personalities with three complete different specialties. However they were the best in what they do. "There is a total of five crack houses on Stark Street and four on Third Street. We scared the crack out of their systems and showed Yuri's picture. Two of them on Third Street had admitted to seeing Yuri on several occasions, but the last few days, he all but disappeared." It was Hal who gave the run down since he looked to be the most calm between the three.

I nodded and faced my last group. Woody, Vince, Zero, and Junior had the task of searching every restaurant, every store, every gas station and everything else in between. "We still have a few people to canvas, but we got most of them searched. Several of the lower income stores on the rotten side of town have seen him buying clothes, blankets, rope, several knives, cleaning supplies, and food items. A employee from the More For Less supermarket remembers him well. Said he was creepy."

"Did they say anything else? Like if he was driving a vehicle." I asked. Ignoring the items they mentioned. Especially the knives, rope, and cleaning supplies.

Woody shook his head. "That guy didn't, but he did say that his manager was working that day and he was helping a young woman to her car at the time. He thought maybe he might remember something. We're going back this evening when the manager comes into work."

"I wanna go." Santos broke his silence. We all turned to look at him and just nodded. It was pointless to refuse him. He would just go anyway. However I didn't want to deny him this. He could probably learn more than any of us.

I nodded my agreement. "You can go with them and Bobby can go too." I told him.

He shook his head. "I wanna go alone."

I didn't snort but I wanted to. Lester going alone while his self-control was pretty much gone. I shook my head. I didn't think so and I told him so.

"Why not?"

"Because we need you. Ashley needs you. And if you go by yourself with the way your control is hanging by a thread, you'll end up jail. Let them go with you and they make sure you don't go beating the shit out of the manager." I told him. "Or anyone else for that matter." I added.

He nodded. "Fine." He said through clenched teeth. He was pissed off but I didn't care. The last thing I needed was Ranger's cousin and one of our best men in jail for beating a man close to death. Or anyone for that matter.

* * *

><p>Lester's POV- Twelve Hours Missing<p>

We pulled up in the parking lot and as soon as the vehicle stopped moving, I climbed out. I was ready to talk to this guy and having to wait until after midnight before I could was driving me nuts. Although at this moment I didn't have far to go.

I was trying to keep my mind and thoughts away from Ashley and the fact that she was in the clutches of Yuri. Keeping my thoughts away from her was the only thing that was keeping me from killing anyone and everyone surrounding me. But I only had myself to blame. She was gonna die because of me and for that I hoped and prayed Ranger killed me.

"Santos, come on." Brown called out, breaking my thoughts. I took a deep breath and followed the group of five. The six of us was dressed in head to toe black with utility belts filled with several different types of weapons such as stun gun, pepper spray, our choice of fire arm, our handcuffs, and our choice of knife. Walking into the lower class super market even at this time of night we were respected, but we were also feared.

More For Less was the most popular super market on this side of town. It was a super market for lower income families and the fixed income elderly. But due to its location on the wrong side of the tracks, it was robbed often. They usually never got much since the place was always robbed after midnight. At midnight the manager, Troy Masters took the day's earnings and left. No one really knew where he went since the banks were closed. But he always came back about thirty minutes later and the next morning, the money showed deposited in the bank.

It was Troy Masters who were going to talk to. Maybe he had seen a vehicle, a car, a truck, a freaking Humvee or even a scooter. I didn't care what Yuri was driving as long as we were able to find his sorry ass. And if Ranger didn't kill him, I was.

We stepped inside the small grocery store and looked around. Troy Masters stood out in more ways than one. He was wearing a white button up shirt and black slacks while the rest of the employees were in jeans and t-shirts with a red apron tied around their waist. But what made Masters stand out from the rest was his size. He would make a great RangeMan employee. He stood over six foot coming to about six foot five. He had muscles on top of muscles. His short brown buzz cut hair screamed military. Something told me this could go one of two ways and nothing in between. One way would be the worst and he could be completely uncooperative. Or the way I was hoping, he was going to be one of the keys to finding Ashley.

He stepped forward as did I. "Troy Masters?" I asked.

He nodded and held out a hand. "I'm Troy Masters. Ben told me about you guys. How can I help?"

I shook his hand and got to the reason for my visit. I handed him a picture of Yuri. "Have you seen this man?"

He took the picture and his eyes showed immediate recognition. He let out a sigh and handed the photo back to me. "Yeah I've seen him. He's a creepy one all right and I see a lot of people coming and going while working here. He's one of the creepiest I've ever seen. What did he do to get you six after him?"

"He's got more than just us. There's a lot more of us and we're all searching for him." Zero spoke and Masters eyes went wide.

"There are more of you? Y'all hiring?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my wallet. Taking a RangeMan card and handing it to him, I cleared my throat. "Look, we're here for a reason. A woman was kidnapped earlier today and this man is the one that has her. Did you by any chance see what he was driving?" I asked.

Masters took the card. "He was driving a lime green Toyota compact car. I don't remember the model, but the color stood out." He said while looking over the card.

"Did you see what direction he took when leaving?" I asked. It probably wouldn't help us but who knew.

"He went right."

That made me raise my eyebrows in suspicion. If he went left that would have taken him to Third or Stark Street, but a right turn would have taken him to the motel she was staying out and of course RangeMan. Did he know we had her at RangeMan? We figured he did, but now it was probably confirmed.

"You're sure?"

Masters nodded. "I am." He said then held up the card. "Is it hard to get hired?" He asked.

"Are you military?" I asked more for my benefit than his. I wanted to see if I was right.

He nodded. "Marines. I put in almost ten years."

"Then you have a chance. Come by sometime and talk to the boss. But a word of advice, don't come anytime soon. Give it at least a month." I told him. A month might not even be long enough if something happened to Ashley.

We told him thanks for his cooperation and left. A lime green Toyota. Shouldn't be hard to find.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV- Twenty-Four Hours Missing<p>

I stepped off the elevator and looked around. Not one single person was in sight but I knew it had more to do with the fact that they were out searching for Ashley. They didn't care right now how pissed off I was. Their main concern and mine was finding Ashley before Yuri killed her. If it wasn't too late.

I shook those thoughts from my head and walked towards Tank's office and open the door. He looked up and seeing me, he stood up. I shook my head when he began to speak. So far I was doing a great job pretending that the person missing didn't matter. I just kept repeating over and over in my head that this was your average missing persons case. I didn't know the victim. I hadn't talk to her, walked with her, swam with her, teased her, or even kissed her. I sure as hell didn't leave no fucking love bite on her thigh. She was a stranger.

"Report." I ordered.

Tank went to rambling about searching here and there. About talking with the employee at More For Less Supermarket and about Yuri's lime green compact car. When he continued to ramble, I cut him off.

"How in the hell did Yuri get to her?"

"The doctor's office called. They said they needed to do a full check up on her. We checked everybody out and then organized a team and took her."

"No one stands out in the doctor's office?"

Tank finally slumped back in his chair. And I sat down across from him. "Not a damn one of them, Range Man. You know if they had, she wouldn't have went. We thought she was safe."

"Who took her to the doctors?" I asked; thinking and trusting that not one of my employees was the culprit behind her being kidnapped.

"Brown, Hector, and Ram. Santos headed the team."

I nodded. I knew none of those men would betray me or RangeMan. Especially Santos. "Who was at the door?" I asked; already knowing the answer.

"Santos."

Yea, he wouldn't have let anything happen to her. Not on purpose. "Why wasn't he in the exam room with her?" I asked since I had to know.

"He was but then she asked him to leave. Come to find out, she asked for birth control and was too shy to ask with Santos in the room."

I swallowed hard and fought the urge to throw something. She wanted birth control. She's just another victim. She wanted birth control. She's just another victim. She wanted birth control. She's just not another fucking victim. I stood up and fought to stay in control of my anger. A knock on the door interrupted and Tank barked out for the intruder to enter. I knew the guy because I hired him, but I couldn't remember his name and I was pretty sure his face hadn't been that messed up when I hired him.

"What?" Tank spat.

The intruder handed him a stack of papers inside a yellow file folder. "Its the back ground check you had us do on Troy Masters." He said.

Tank nodded and took the folder; his eyes narrowed and filled with fury. "Thanks. Not get out." He commanded.

My eyes widen at the tone of voice Tank used. He's usually so damn civil to other employees, never wanting his power as my second in command to come off as bragging to the others.

Once the door was shut, I asked. "Who was that?"

"Daniel Embers."

I nodded, now remembering. "What happened to his face?"

"Santos." Tank stated never looking up from his papers.

I didn't know what Embers must have said to make my cousin beat the shit out of him, but I was guessing he did deserve it.

"It's not gonna work, you know?" Tank said softly.

I glanced up at him, but his attention was on the folder in his hands. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

Tank lifted his head so his eyes were on me. "Pretending Ashley is just another victim; another missing person. It's not gonna work. Hiding behind your blank face and calm demeanor isn't gonna work either."

I stood up and walked over to his desk. This gave me the advantage of looking down at him. "Who the hell asked you?"

Tank stood to his full height; throwing down the file folder in his hands. "Oh come on, Ranger. It's mine fault. I shouldn't have let her go. I should have said no. Hell, I should have went with them and protected her myself."

I shook my head; fighting his words. I wanted to pretend. For the first time, I wanted Steph's land of denial and no one was gonna deny me that. So I changed the subject.

"Has anyone called Misha?"

Tank hesitated and I wondered at the moment what was going on in his head. Finally he spoke. "No, we haven't called him."

I nodded and walked out. I didn't blame Tank. I didn't blame Lester. I blamed myself. I never should have left. I should have fought against my orders to leave. It would have landed me in jail but I should have fought harder. This was no one's fault but my own. I would deal with that later, but for now I needed to call Misha.

* * *

><p>Misha's POV- Twenty-Four Hours Missing<p>

I sank down into my over-stuffed sofa and let out a sigh. Sometimes I just hated office work. I would rather be on the streets dealing with the every day way of life. Most of the time office days didn't bother me. But it was days like today that made me hate office life and everything it brought forth. Maybe it was because my mind was on other things. Like Ashley. I knew she was safe at RangeMan, but I couldn't ignore the pulling of my gut that was telling me something was wrong.

Maybe it was because Yuri would never give up until he was dead. Or could be that I know where Yuri's special talents lay and I didn't speak of it to Manoso or his second in command. That was my stupidity, but I was personally in Manoso's company and it's built like a fortress and was locked down like Fort Knox. I smiled. That was something Ashley would have said. That's probably where I learned it from. I loved her like a little sister and at the same time, I did not. Maybe I would call her this evening just to check on her.

The cell phone on my hip began to ring and I grabbed it. The call was from a blocked number but I answered it anyway.

"_Hello." _I answered in Russian.

"_Misha, how have you been?" _Why would he be calling me? Please don't let it be him.

"_Yuri?" _I asked. Please don't let it be him.

He let out an evil cruel laugh. "_You are correct. I have a surprise for you." _Oh shit. He couldn't. He hasn't. There's no way.

I heard a female scream and my vision went red.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV- Twenty-Three Hours Missing<p>

The pain in my right arm woke me up this time. But I could hear his breathing and I could smell the cinnamon on him. I opened my eyes and saw blackness. It was then I realized that I was blind folded. But I could feel the cold running across my bare flesh. I was naked. Completely naked. The embarrassment came first, but then I got angry. I yanked on my hands, but with that I realized I was tied down. Yanking on my legs I discovered the same.

"Oh you're awake. I was hoping that would wake you up." He sounded far away but when I felt the pain course through my left arm from my shoulder to my elbow, I knew he was right. I let out a gasp of pain and he laughed.

"I've had enough fun with choking you. Now it's time for the party to began."

More pain went through my left arm, this time from my elbow to my wrist. I didn't know what he was using, but it hurt. I could feel the warm blood slowly trickling down my arm so that comforted me a little. It wasn't a deep cut. It wasn't life threatening.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." He said before breaking off and started talking in Russian. I had no idea what he was saying, but I wished I did. Or maybe I didn't.

Then I heard Misha's name. Why would Yuri be talking to Misha?


	16. The Truth Comes Out

Warning: Violence!

Please go easy on me..this is new for me. I'm not quite use to this...

The Truth Comes Out

Ranger's POV-

We were still trying to find out how Yuri knew that Ashley was going to the doctor on that particular day and at that exact time. How did he know what room she was in and what were the chances of Santos even leaving the exam room for just a matter of minutes. After talking with several of my employees, I was sure the doctor and the nurses at the clinic weren't involved. They each and everyone answered our questions honestly and without hesitation. Their backgrounds show no suspicious activities and no large sums of money have been suddenly deposited in their accounts. On the surface they were innocent, but the question of how Yuri discovered the doctor's appointment was beyond them all.

Tank blamed himself and Santos blamed only himself. He's still beating his own ass for leaving the exam room and leaving Ashley by herself. And he doesn't understand how he didn't hear a word when he was standing right outside the door. I was also blaming myself. Not that I left for a mission, but for getting involved. If I hadn't gotten involved, she wouldn't even be here at RangeMan and she never would have gotten kidnapped. She would be in Russia with Misha and Igor.

Taking a deep breath, I felt the rage that went through my blood at the thought of Ashley being with Misha. Even though I knew there was a chance that if I hadn't gotten involved then Ashley could have been killed. After being raped and tortured. With that thought, I let some of the regret of getting involved melt away. As I dialed Misha's number I tried to get my mind off of the reason for my call and fought like hell to keep my control in check.

"I was just getting ready to call you. I'm on a plane now, but I need to tell you something and it's too important to wait until we arrive."

This was the way Misha answered the phone. I was under the impression that no one at RangeMan had called him. I was the first so why was he on a plane and acting as though he knew Ashley was in trouble.

"Explain." I barked out my normal command.

I heard Misha let out a sigh. He said something in Russian before answering my question. "This isn't really about Ashley. It's about me."

I couldn't help it as the word escaped. "Explain."

"Yuri has always had a thing for her but because I was loyal to Igor and Yuri was loyal to Igor, Yuri wouldn't touch her because he knew what would happened if he did. But he's hated her for some unknown reason. When not in my presence, he's always called her a little whore." Misha broke off into a hot line of Russian and I sat there behind my desk and listened. He was letting off steam and even though I had to get back on the streets and look for one beautiful brown eyed gymnast, I knew whatever he was going to tell me was important.

"But Yuri has always hated me. Recently Igor announced that he was getting ready to retire from the family business and he was handing it all over to me. It pissed Yuri off so he went after the one family member I had left."

I didn't know what to think. So Ashley was already in one relationship, although a family friendly relationship and she became a target. I wanted to rip Yuri apart and nothing was going to stop me once I got him in my sights.

"How did he get to her, Misha?" I asked.

"One of his specialties is getting into any building. That was something I had planned on telling you, but when Igor and I arrived at RangeMan I didn't think it was necessary. I checked out the building myself and it's locked down tight. There was no way he could have gotten in without one of you finding out. I should have told you this, Manoso. It is my fault that he broke in and took her. I just I just I just thought." He broke off and something told he was fighting tears.

"She wasn't taken from my building. You're right in one aspect. RangeMan is locked down tight with the best security around. Mine. Now you tell me how did he know that she was going to the doctor? Does he know computers? Give me something helpful, Misha?"

"No. He's horrible at computers and technology. I don't know how he knew about her going to the doctor, but once he discovered where you were taking her, it would only take him about five minutes to get into the building undetected and back out."

I shook my head; trying to understand. "Even with another person?"

"Yes. As I said. It is his specialty."

I put my phone on speaker when I looked up and noticed both Tank and Santos at my office door. I motioned for them to enter and they did; sitting in the chairs across from my desk.

"Misha, where is Yuri?" I asked; hoping during that one phone call, he picked up on something. Anything. We needed to find Ashley.

"I'm sorry. It was quiet. Dead quiet. Which means only one thing." He took a breath. "He's found an empty building. It could be on a busy street with businesses and people running around every minute or it could be on a dead end road with no around. Please hurry..." He broke off and took another deep breath. "Ranger, please hurry. Find my angel. Our angel. Please. I'll be there as soon as I can." With that he hung up.

I looked up and faced the two people I trusted the most. Lester, my cousin, my friend, my employee spoke first.

"I'll get the computer in the conference room fired up and get on Google earth."

I nodded and looked at Tank. "Let's get the employees in the conference room and start mapping." He nodded his agreement and we got to work.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I was so mad. I was scared. I was terrified. I was mad. I was hurting. But most of all I was pissed off. He had finally took off the blindfold but I was pretty sure it was only because he wanted me to see what he was doing. I was naked and tied to a table. After my eyes finally adjusted, I took in my surroundings and found them odd at best. I had no idea where I was, but since I had only been living in Trenton for about two months, I wasn't surprised at that. The ceiling tiles were slowly falling apart and falling to the floor. The paint on the walls held no color and it was peeling and looked wet. Ragged beds, broken furniture, and nasty looking fabric was littered across the floor. And I was tied to a table. A stainless steel table. A very cold table. If I didn't know where I was and I was here then what were the chances that I was going to be rescued or even discovered once he killed me.

His phone call with Misha did however help me figure a few things out. One of the most important that Misha was not involved as I had first thought. Another thing I learned is that Yuri was very upset with Misha, but I hadn't quite figured out why. After talking to Misha for all of three minutes and slicing my arms and stomach, he hung up with another one of those evil laughs that would haunt even my day dreams. I gulped as Yuri picked up a huge knife. But I needed to get him talking or I wasn't gonna live much longer.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked.

"I scheduled the appointment."

"What?"

"I called several days ago and schedule the appointment. I knew what day and what time. That was the easy part. Taking you was easy too. Should have known a whore such as yourself would need birth control."

I still didn't get it really. If he called and placed the appointment then why did Lester say that the doctor said he wanted to see me and how I was doing. But then again they had lots of patients and I'm sure they didn't remember every single one of them.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked; trying a different approach.

He glared at me. "Because you are a whore."

I was a little taken back as I didn't understand why he would think that. I had only ever slept with one man and that had been at the time my fiancee. I was for awhile hanging out with Misha quite a bit, but his sister had always been around. Even after Dasha had passed, we were always surrounded by others. Well most of the time. But anyone who knew Misha knew he was never interested in me that way.

"Why would you say that?"

He snorted. "You tease men with your body. Prancing around in the stupid suit thing." He stated. He could have only meant my leotard, but I was a gymnast. I didn't go around teasing men. Did I? What if I did? I never meant to. I just like gymnastics.

"I never meant to, Yuri. I'm really sorry. Please let me go." I didn't want to beg him, but if I had to I would.

He snorted again. "You only say that because I now am going to kill you once I've had a little fun." He let out that laugh once more as he started walking towards me and I cringed. Think Ashley think.

"Why now?" My question stopped him.

"Because of Misha." He spat out Misha's name with more hatred than I had ever heard from someone.

"What?"

He stepped back; bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I had to stay away from you because you were Misha's whore."

I flinched again at the name. I didn't like to think of myself as a whore, but I was beginning to think that's exactly what I am. Why else would Lester tease me, ask me out, and then kiss me? Why else would Ranger hang around me and kiss me? Because I was easy. I was a whore. But I still didn't deserve this.

"Why now?" I asked again.

I let out a small sigh of relief when Yuri sat the knife down on a small folding table and then collapsed himself in a small folding chair that had seen better days.

"You ask too many questions, but since I'm going to kill you I will explain." He said. Thank you for that. I mentally rolled my eyes. "If I had messed with you back then, Misha would have known it was me. Then my own cousin would have seen to my death." He spat out. "Then you left and I thought things would finally go back to normal. Or so I thought. Igor gave Misha more jobs. Jobs that I should have had. I confronted Igor with this. He told me I had too much hatred towards women. Misha did not. My cousin thinks women are special. That they should be cherished and loved. Fuck that! Women are teases. Whores like you."

He stood back up and I fought with another question. "But why come after me now? I don't understand. Why now?" I blurted.

"My cousin announced to the family that he was going to retire and he was handing it all over to Misha. I confronted Igor with that. He once more said I was not ready. So I plotted and planned to kill Misha. Then one day I overheard Misha mention your name. He called you his angel. You are no angel. You are a whore. I thought what better way to hurt Misha then to kill you. So I tracked you down and here I am. At first I was only going to rape and kill you. But after those men coming to your rescue too many times, I decided to have a little fun with you."

I couldn't stop the tears that flowed as he picked the knife back up. I shook my head in denial. "Please don't kill me."

He laughed. "I'm not going to kill you." He trailed the knife across my breasts and smiled. "Not yet." He tipped the knife up at my breast bone and I cried harder as he dug it into my skin; leaving a trail of blood behind. Oh God, it hurt so bad. At my belly button, he pulled the knife back. He then placed the knife at my right hip. "First I wanna have fun." I screamed in pain as he dragged the knife down my leg. I was gonna die listening to his evil laugh and the last thing I would see was gonna be his cold blue eyes.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I had never been more happier at spending so much money on one thing as I was right now. Several months ago, I splurged and bought one of those giant computers. I fought the idea for a while, but finally gave in. I happened upon them by accident while in Hawaii with Steph. She claimed since we were in Hawaii, we should watch Hawaii 5-O. I would have rather been in bed, but now I was glad she talked me into watching television than having sex.

The table we were all gathered around was a touchscreen tablet almost hundred times bigger. At the touch of my hand I could enlarge the area of the map I wanted and it was seen on the huge screen hanging on the wall. I had never thought it was going to come in use, but oh how seriously wrong I was.

"I think he's in this building." Cal said as he pointed to a small dot on the big screen.

"Why there?" I asked. We had been searching the town of Trenton for the past hour, eliminating buildings as we went. Right now we were focused on two. The first one which I pointed out myself was on Third Street. It was abandoned warehouse where homeless people were often found dead or sleeping.

Cal pointed to an empty and deserted hospital on the edge of Stark. It had been shut down after St. Francis had been built over hundred years ago. I had to admit, he was probably right but I wanted to know his reasoning.

"You said that Misha had said it was quiet. With Trenton, no where is ever quiet. So he has to be in a building where he can get in deep enough that no sounds can be heard from outside and no one can hear anything coming from the inside. This is the only big enough place in Trenton that it could be. Just saying." Cal looked hopeful. I nodded my agreement.

"Everyone get ready. We're leaving in.." I cut off and looked around me. It was then I noticed that all my men were dressed and ready for a fight. It almost made me want to smile. Almost. "We're leaving now." I barely said the words before they were all out of the conference room and jogging down the stairs. I don't think I had ever be more proud of my employees... No of my _friends_ right then.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I couldn't breath. But I sure could feel. I was covered in blood and I was in so much pain I was close to begging Yuri to end my life. Small cuts, large cuts, shallow and deep cuts covered my body. From my head to my toes. None of them were life threatening or so I didn't think. He never actually stabbed me, he just let the knife run over my skin. I was light headed and dizzy. Although at first I was sure it was because I hadn't eaten for quite some time, now I'm sure it's because of all the blood my body was pumping out of my system.

I wanted to let go. The pain was so over bearing that I couldn't even think straight. My head was throbbing from not only the slice he put across my forehead, but from my throat being clogged with tears and my nose becoming stuffed up. I couldn't move my fingers and I really couldn't even feel my toes. My throat was another story. After being choked out and brought back a half dozen times, it was so sore I could barely talk. Even though the screams kept coming out, whether I wanted them to or not.

After the last cut across my breasts, Yuri had put the knife down. I didn't know what he had planned but I couldn't stop the vomit from coming up when I turned my head and caught sight of his naked rear end. This was it. He was now finally going to rape me then kill me. I no longer cared. I wanted to die. I wanted the pain to stop.

I watched in silence as Yuri walked closer and closer to me until he stopped at my feet. He ran his fingers up my legs and pulled them apart. I cried out in pain as his fingers came in contact with each and every cut in both legs. His fingers were covered in my blood and he seem to be enjoying it. His whole face was lit up with one of those evil ugly grins and it made me sick. His fingers continued to ran back and forth over my thighs; over my calves. His fingers skimming over the sensitive flesh between my legs. He hadn't yet touched me there and I was scared as why he was saving that for last.

"You beautiful for such a whore." He threw up at me; still smiling. How could one smile with happiness but evil and malice show in his eyes.

His fingers halted at mid thigh before he let out a roar of such hatred that it scared me more than this whole night. I opened my eyes to look at him; dreading what I would find. He was staring at my right thigh and it suddenly came clear. Ranger's hickey. He gave me a hickey last night. Was that just last night or was it two nights ago. It didn't matter anymore. The night was so memorable and so very precious to me. I heard that women retreat in a happy thought when being violated. Maybe that could be my retreat. That day. That night. With the man I was falling in love with. I slammed my eyes shut and waited.

"You whore. You let some man mark you. You are a whore." He screamed at me and my eyes flew open to deny it; to tell him that it wasn't like that.

He screamed in a rage once more. "It can't be there. It can not be there." He kept repeating over and over as he face came closer and closer to my leg. I yanked on the ties binding my legs, but I couldn't move as he settled his mouth over the hickey Ranger had given me and bit down. I screamed in such pain as it felt like he was ripping out my flesh. I screamed and cried and pleaded and begged.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I had been fighting to keep my control since I learned Ashley had been taken from the doctor's office. I fought to keep my control as I boarded the private jet to take me back to Trenton. I fought to hold on to my control as I listened to Tank talk and explain. As Lester begged me to forgive him. Even though there was nothing to forgive. He was hurting bad for what had happened at the clinic. I wasn't laying the blame on anyone but myself.

As I talked to my employees, worked off my frustration in the gym, ate to keep up my strength, and searched for Ashley, I fought to keep my control in check. I was so close that I was scared for everyone around me when I finally lost it. I never felt like this with anyone. Not even Steph. Yes, Steph had me close to fighting my control, but she was predictable. I knew her stalkers and I knew her habits. And after all the years we had known each other, I some what knew her mind.

As we quietly entered the abandoned hospital, I was still fighting for that control and I was thinking on my feelings for Ashley. Did I love her? I was pretty sure I did. But I love Steph but was I in love with Steph or did I just love her? I wasn't sure and maybe I never would be. But I did know that just like Steph, the thought of living without her made the last little string of self-control I had wear down just a little bit more. I wanted Ashley in my life forever. But I wanted the same with Steph.

I was still fighting with myself when a terrified filled scream echoed through the hall ways. My control snapped and I ran. I ran toward the sound and slammed open a door. Any thought of reigning in that control flew out the window when I saw Ashley.

* * *

><p>Tank's POV-<p>

When Ashley's scream went through the hospital and Ranger started running, we all followed him. And when the door slammed opened, the sight before me took my breath away. Yuri's head was bent over Ashley and he looked as though his head was between her legs.

Her small body was covered in so much blood that I couldn't even make out any skin. I had no idea where the blood was coming from, but I didn't think Ashley had long to live. But the small sight of her chest rising up and down gave me a little encouragement.

Yuri's head snapped up and even I felt some terror. He had the coldest blue eyes I had ever seen. Hatred, malice, and malevolent filled those cold blue eyes. He let out a roar of what could only be rage of being interrupted.

With a flash Ranger flew at him. Ranger sailed over the table knocking Yuri lose and onto the floor. Ranger never missed a beat as he settled himself over Yuri and with one fist after another beat Yuri to death.


	17. The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Tank's POV- Twelve Hours Later

The last twelve hours have been chaotic, crazy, and tiresome. We were all tired, hungry and worried. Barely having enough time to go home and clean the blood from our skin and clothes. But mostly we were just concerned about Ashley.

When Ranger jumped on Yuri and began to beat the shit out of him, Santos was the only one that went to Ashley. The rest of us tried to pull Ranger off of Yuri. But when Santos cut the ties that bound Ashley to the table, he shouted for us to stop. To let Ranger kill him. When the the doctor came out and described Ashley's injuries, I had been thankful that Ranger did.

The abandoned hospital where Yuri had taken Ashley was filthy, dirty, and down right disgusting. And he had her tied down to a even more dirtier table. Rats, spiders, roaches, ants, termites, and lot more six legged little insects were running around; reeking havoc on the interior of the building. The place was slowly crumbling; piece by piece it was falling down.

Infection was their biggest concern right now. Yeah, infection was _their_ biggest concern, but it wasn't ours. Ashley had been admitted for about four hours when the doctor came out and told us the damage. Ranger had lied and told the doctor that he was her husband. The doctor nodded and told us everything we needed to know. She had over seventy cuts to her five foot, hundred pound frame. The doctor had said that he quit counting after sixty-five and the nurses stopped at seventy-two. That stupid bastard hadn't even turned her over. Every cut was on the front side of her. Fucking prick. Her larynx had been badly damaged. We asked the doctor how that could have happened. His reply was being choked again and again. Each time being brought back by CPR. Which is probably the reason why she has four fractured ribs and a bruised breast bone. Fucking asshole.

The ties that had Ashley bound to the dirty table had been so tight they had dug into her skin. Her wrists were raw and a layer of skin was missing. The same with her ankles. It was a good thing she was out of it, the doctor had said. For they had to scrub her wrists and ankles clean for they found rope fibers, dirt, and dust in her raw flesh. Fucking bastard.

It was the bite on her inner right thigh that has the doctor mostly worried. When he mentioned that, I swear Ranger was gonna be sick. He turned deathly pale and lost his blank face. I didn't understand his reaction, but I wasn't gonna ask either. The doctor had said Yuri tried to tear her flesh from her thigh and it took thirty nine stitches to close it up. I mean really? Thirty nine stitches to a bite, over seventy cuts, four fractured ribs, a damaged larynx, and what else had he had said. Oh that's right, she flat lined twice and needed several of those little bags of blood to replenish what she had lost. I shook my head. The poor thing had been through too much in her young life, but to survive Yuri and what he put her through well she could most certainly survive Ranger and any wall he put up. And we all knew he was going to.

But first we had to get her out of the medical induced coma she was in and get her healthy. That was gonna take awhile. The doctor had said that the chances of her being able to talk were slim. She was gonna be too sore for that. We asked about the coma and they replied that if she was awake there was more chance of an infection than if she was asleep.

Ranger asked, in the lowest voice I had ever heard from him, how long she was gonna be in that coma. The doctor frowned and shook his head. For as long as Ranger allowed it, he said but since she was on a ventilator they didn't want to wait too long or she wouldn't be able to breath without it. Ranger told them to give him twenty four hours to think it over. The doctor nodded and left.

I asked Ranger why wait twenty four hours before he decided. Ranger told him by that time Misha would be here and he could take over. Before I could say anything else, Ranger walked off. I didn't like the sound of that, but I couldn't very well confront him here at the hospital. So I would wait and deal with him later. It sounded to me as though he was giving up on Ashley too and God forbid, I couldn't let that happen. Ashley was perfect for Ranger. Stephanie was great. Wonderful in fact, but she wasn't right for Ranger. The sooner Ranger figured that out, the better off we would all be.

I stood outside Ashley's hospital room door; standing guard. Santos was beside me, but for once he wasn't trying to pass the time away by laughing and cracking jokes. He was all business and not happy. I looked up in time to see Ranger walking towards me. Alone. I thought that a little weird since he left to meet Misha and Igor who called to say they had just arrived. I knew they wouldn't want to leave without seeing Ashley.

"Where's Misha and Igor?" I asked once Ranger got within hearing distance.

"To retrieve the body and take it back to Russia." He replied.

My lip curled in disgust and I snorted. "They should just burn it and be done with it." I hissed.

"The stupid fucker doesn't deserve a proper burial." Santos spat out.

I nodded in agreement. The Russians were a nasty bunch when pissed off. It still amazed me how that sweet little thang became friends with Misha and his little gang. But she made friends with us; a group of ex-military and hard asses.

"They coming back, right?" Santos asked.

Ranger glanced at him. "They are. Misha wasn't happy that they had to leave to go get the body. But Igor insisted that they sooner they got rid of it, the better."

I nodded. "I would agree." Since we knew Yuri would end up dead one way or another, we kept Ashley's kidnapping on down low. It was a little hard since she was taken from the doctor's office, but we managed it. We most especially didn't want a lot of paper work involved when it came to his death and explaining it away. With Igor and Misha, we didn't have to explain. They understood. In fact the only regret they had was not being able to help out.

"What's your plan now?" Santos asked; directing the question at Ranger.

"To get Ashley to RangeMan."

"Why?" I asked.

He cut me a look and I fought my grin. He had his reasons and he didn't want to share them. "Ella and Bobby can look after her better than anyone here can." He answered; thinking that would deter me. It didn't.

"In her apartment on four or in your apartment?" I questioned; still fighting to keep the grin off my face.

Oh if looks could kill. However he quickly recovered and his blank was firmly back in place. "When is that any of your business?"

My eyes narrowed and I kept my voice low. "She became my business when I was stupid enough to let her out of my sight. I never should have let her leave RangeMan. I'm not making the same mistake twice. I'm keeping my eye on her." I told him.

He gave a curt nod. "My apartment." He said softly before entering Ashley's room.

"If he lets her go, I'll make sure he doesn't get another chance." Santos muttered once the door was firmly shut.

I glance over with a raised eyebrow. "Explain." I said; quoting Ranger.

"If he doesn't stake claim pretty damn quickly then I will."

This surprised me. "I thought there wasn't anything between you and Ashley." I replied. Of course that was just office gossip and normally I didn't listen to rumors.

Santos' shrugged. "There isn't. Not yet. But I'm pretty sure if I wine and dine her and treat her like the princess she is, she'll fall in love with me. Then I'll marry her."

Once again Santos surprised me. "But you aren't in love with her."

"When two people spend enough time together, you never know what will happen."

"All this out of guilt?"

"I've done worse out of guilt. And besides I think I'll get the better end of the deal. She's sweet, funny, loving, beautiful, and flexible."

I looked over at Santos, thinking for sure I would see a smile, but he looked just as serious as ever. "Just make sure I'm in the room when you tell Ranger this little plan of yours."

He looked at me then. "Why?"

"Because you'll need somebody there to make sure he doesn't kill you."

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV- Four Hours Later<p>

I hated this. I hated it with Steph and I hate it with Ashley. I had been thinking of turning Ashley's care over to Misha when he arrived, but I couldn't do that. Whether I liked it or not, Ashley had gotten under my skin. She was meant to be mine. Or at least I was hoping. It didn't matter though, I wasn't letting her go. She was stuck with me. We were going to have work a few things out between us, like her relationship with Eric. I trusted her, not him. I didn't want her running around in one of those little leotards around him or any other man. Not without me around. But that wasn't gonna be anytime soon. She had a lot of recovering to do.

I know Tank blames himself, but it wasn't his fault. Yes I would probably take him to the mats as a sign of who the alpha male is, but right now wasn't the time. I don't know what made him think it was safe for her to leave the body, but since we were trained bodyguards I can understand why he did it. We also didn't know about Yuri's special talents with buildings. But Ashley was now safe with us. She would always have a bodyguard on her for now on. Whether she wanted it or not.

The soft knocking on the door woke me up. But of course I hadn't really been sleeping, just dozing. Anything to make the next eight hours go by a little quicker. I got up and walked to the door; cracking it to see Misha and Igor standing on the other side.

I stepped back and let them enter Ashley's private hospital room. Misha immediately walked over to the bed and kissed the tip of her nose. Which just happen to be the only part of her that didn't have a bandage or a cut. My fists were still itching to beat upon Yuri some more, but they would have to be happy with what they got. I have never had pleasure from killing someone until Yuri. I loved and enjoyed each hit to his evil leering face.

"How is she doing?" Misha's question snapped me out of my thoughts.

"The doctor said infection is the biggest concern. That's why she's in a medical induced coma."

Misha's eyes met mine and I saw the surprise there. "I thought she was just sleeping. What all did he do to her?" He asked; whisper soft.

"Over seventy cuts to her body. Most of the small, shallow, and insignificant. About dozen of them were deep enough to require stitches. Her larynx is damaged from the repeated times he choked her and brought her back. She also has four fractured ribs and a bruised breast bone. She has over thirty stitches to her right thigh where he bit her."

I hate that the most. He bit her because I left a love bit; a sign of my ownership on her right thigh. That bastard took a perfect end to a wonderful day and ripped it away from her. I would most definitely make sure she got it back.

"He should have been hung up by his toes and skinned alive with a spoon." Igor hissed.

I looked at him but kept my face blank. I agreed wholeheartedly, but this was the guy's cousin. Family. Could he really do that to family.

Misha chuckled and I glanced back at him. "He did deserve that and more, but he did suffer quite a bit before he died." Misha replied.

I gave a slight nod, but didn't say anything. I didn't have to wait long.

"Did he rape her?" Misha asked.

"No." My voice was barely audible but he heard it.

He nodded. "Thank God." He whispered and kissed her again. "Every bone in his face was broken." Misha's voice sounded loud in the quiet hospital room.

My lips curled in a would be smile. I didn't realized I had hit him that much or that long. "If you're waiting for an apology, you won't get it." I told him.

I saw Igor shake his head from the corner of my eye. "I do not need or require an apology. I knew you would want to know. For some reason, the doctor wanted to make sure it was Yuri. He was wiping the blood from his face and discovered how soft it was. He performed a x-ray and that is when he discovered the broken bones. His skulk was fractured as well."

That little piece of information didn't make me feel better. I should have tortured him; slowly. Cutting off his fingers, toes, his tongue, and his dick first. Then maybe shoot him in his knees and elbows. Prolong the torture. Prolong the suffering. Make him suffer as I know Ashley did.

"You are one tough son of a bitch, Manoso. If you ever need a job, call me." Igor said.

I nodded; letting him know that I heard him, but I wouldn't be calling him. Even if RangeMan shut down tonight, I would have enough money to keep myself and Ashley in the state of luxury for the rest of our lives. I frowned to myself when I realized where my thoughts were headed. Again... Did I want to be saddled with one woman for the rest of my life. Looking at Ashley, I knew I could not only handle it, but I wanted exactly that. Steph had Morelli and she was happy with him. I wanted my own happiness. The question was, did I deserve it?

"We can't stay long. Business and Russia and all. You will look after her." It wasn't a question. More of a demand.

I nodded. "Should I call her parents?" I asked; more for Ashley's sake than more. She might want them here.

Misha turned away from Ashley to look at me. "If you want her, I would suggest not."

"Explain."

Misha actually rolled his eyes at me, but he explained. "If you like her and I think you do, then you don't want to call her parents. They'll call Keith and he'll come rushing down here with them. Since Ashley isn't strong enough to fight them off, she'll end up leaving with them."

I bit back the urge to growl. She wasn't going anywhere. Especially with her ex. I nodded forcefully. "I'll wait til she's stronger."

Igor smirked and Misha smiled. "I figured as much."

* * *

><p>Lester's POV- The Next Morning...<p>

I watched with a frown as the door to the stair way flew back against the wall and Ranger disappeared down the steps. He was pissed and anyone who got in his way, would pay dearly. I was a little pissed off myself but I didn't let it get the better of me. Not when I didn't understand the reason behind it. She had just went through such ordeal that I'm not surprise she wasn't talking to us. Or ignoring us besides for the small thank you she not only wrote down but whispered.

They pulled the ventilator out a little over two hours ago and she continued to breath just fine on her own, so they weaned her away. She came awake slowly but almost instantly flew into a panic at the sight of several people surrounding her. When she realized that she was safe and away from Yuri, she flung herself, well as much as four fractured ribs would allow, into Ranger's arms. She pulled away and hugged me then Tank. She then went back to Ranger. Like a switch that had been flipped, she suddenly went stiff in Ranger's arms and pulled away.

She sat back on the bed and stared straight a head. She ignored us all except for the doctor. When we tried to ask her questions, she ignored them. When we tried to touch her, she flinched. She didn't talk, she didn't cry, she didn't even move. It was starting to scare some of us and piss off Ranger. At times it seemed as though she was fighting the urge to talk to us. Like she really didn't want to ignore us. Ranger and Tank both figured she was pissed at us all for letting Yuri get to her. But I wasn't quite sure. She didn't seem the type to be mad at something like that. Or mad period.

It still hurt to look at her. She was covered in bandages from head to toe. Her ribs were wrapped so she didn't have much movement but she fought against the wrap when giving us each a hug and it caused her a lot of pain even though she tried to hide it. How could a man be so evil that he would do that to a woman; any woman.

When Ranger crashed through that door and saw Yuri on top of her, I don't think I had ever seen him act with such rashness. He flew at Yuri and began to beat the shit out of him. I was the only one that left him alone and when I got the ties off of Ashley's wrists and ankles and saw the raw skin, I told my co-workers to leave Ranger alone. Yuri needed killing. My only regret was that I didn't get to do it, but I was scared Ashley was dead. And she was close to it.

I can still hear the tone of the machine as she flat lined. Twice. I didn't even breath until the monitor went back to beeping. She was going to need a lot of recuperating to get better. I was going to be there. Every step.

I meant what I said to Tank. If Ranger didn't step up and stake claim pretty damn soon, I was going to. Whether he liked it or not. Ashley was a great person and any man would be lucky to have her. But she needed to be cherished and protected. And only Ranger or myself could do that.

My head snapped up to look at Tank as he hung up his phone. "Misha's on his way up."

I nodded. At the time they pulled the ventilator and woke her up, Misha and Igor had been taking care of more family business. When Ashley wouldn't talk us, we immediately called them and they agreed to come as soon as they could. I could tell by Ranger's posture that Misha was pissed they woke her up without him here, but there was nothing we could have done about that. They gave us a time schedule and stuck to it. After all she was getting the best care money could buy.

I just hoped Misha could find out why Ashley was ignoring us.

* * *

><p>Misha's POV-<p>

When I realized I was stomping up the stairs like your average three year old I stopped and sat down. I needed to get my anger under control before I went into see my Angel. I didn't want her to think I was upset with her. It wasn't her fault the doctor refused to wait until we got there. They wanted to still with their schedule, not mine.

Covering my face with my hands, I let out a sigh of relief. Relief that she was okay. Hurt, in pain, violated, scared shitless, but okay. Since meeting Ashley that first time, my life has never been the same. I heard her name in my household every day because of Dasha. It was always Ashley this and Ashley that. Never once did I resent her for the happiness she brought to Dasha. I think it was because she was in our lives that Dasha lasted as long as she did.

Smiling, I recalled one of my favorite memories of the three of us together. Ashley had been in Raleigh, North Carolina for a gymnastics tournament and the fair had been there at the same time. When Dasha found out, she begged us both to take her. Ashley gave in instantly while it took me a little longer. But I did. Dasha was having a good day so we got everything packed and ready and off we went.

I didn't ride any of the rides. I was too old and I'm a man. I didn't believe in that. But Ashley and Dasha climbed aboard all the slow ones. When Dasha thought we were treating her like a baby, Ashley stepped in. She said that she could only ride the slow ones, because she got sick on the fast ones. Dasha patted her cheek and told her she understood completely. For the rest of the day they rode ride after ride and played game after game. I won each of them a giant stuffed animal; Dasha a tiger and Ashley a bear. No one knew this but me and Dasha, but both the tiger and the bear were in my bedroom. I don't really recall how I came by Ashley's but I treasured them both along with the pictures that I have hanging on my bedroom wall of that day and many days like it. I don't allow anyone in my private bedroom. It is my only place to escape to my memories and I don't want anything sullying those memories.

I took a deep breath and stood back up. I needed to get in there and see what was wrong with my Angel. It wasn't like Ashley to be rude and ignored people. She didn't have a mean bone in her small body. I passed Santos and Tank; nodding at them both. They nodded in return and Santos mouthed 'good luck'.

I knocked on Ashley's door to let her know someone was coming in. When I opened the door and Ashley saw it was me, her beautiful brown eyes widen with delight then welled up with tears. I shut the door behind me and rushed to her; pulling her into my arms. I flinched when I saw the pain lines around her eyes and mouth and saw it flash in her eyes. But it didn't stop her from wrapping her arms my neck and holding on with all the strength she had. I felt something wet against my neck and it was then I realized she was crying.

I placed a kiss on her neck; where there was no bandage and pulled away. Her eyes were swollen from crying, her nose red and stuffed up but she didn't seem close to stopping. I smoothed her hair away from her face and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Angel, what's wrong?" I asked; kissing her mouth softly. "Come on, Sweetheart. Tell me what's wrong."

She sniffed. "Oh Misha, I'm a whore. I'm just a whore." She whispered; her voice harsh. I frowned. I hadn't been expecting that.


	18. Stephanie's Visit

Stephanie's Visit

Misha's POV-

"Angel, what's wrong?" I asked; kissing her mouth softly. "Come on, Sweetheart. Tell me what's wrong."

She sniffed. "Oh Misha, I'm a whore. I'm just a whore." She whispered; her voice harsh. I frowned. I hadn't been expecting that.

"Who the hell told you that?" I asked her; my voice hard. I couldn't image Ranger or any of his men telling her that. So I knew it wasn't them. And since her ex wasn't here either, there was only one other person I could think of. And when Ashley could only shake her head harder and sobbed, I had my answer.

I pulled back until I could look into her eyes. Her eyes were so filled with sadness it made me want to cry. "Did Yuri tell you that?" I asked softly. She slowly nodded and a stream of Russian curse words left my mouth before I could stop them. She flinched. "Yuri was a sick man, Angel. A very sick man. You are not a whore." I said; keeping my voice firm.

"Then why do they want to hang around me?" She whispered.

"Why does who want to hang around you?" I asked already knowing the answer. Or at least I thought I did.

"Lester and the other guys at RangeMan." She said. "And Ranger." She added on a barely there whisper.

I smiled. She really had no idea how absolutely beautiful and special she truly was. The only thing I could do was set her straight.

"Angel, you're like a candle. When you smile you just light up. And everyone is drawn to you whether you're lit up or not. But with that smile, there's just something there. You have this aura about you that makes others want to get to know you. And they can't help but fall in love with you. You're beautiful, Ashley. Inside and out. There is nothing about you that says whore."

By the time I stop talking, her tears had stopped and she was looking at me funny. Her eyes were shining with a smile that had yet to appear on her face. The lines around her mouth and her eyes showed the pain she was in, but she was clearly ignoring it. "You're so sweet, Mishy." She said before wrapping me in another hug.

I let out a sigh of relief and hugged her back, but gently. I didn't want to hurt her. She was already in enough pain as it was. I waited a few more minutes before pulling away to look at her. "I never want to hear you calling yourself a whore or anything close to it. Понимать?"

She nodded. "I understand and I won't. If you answer a question for me." She replied back.

"What's that?"

"If I'm not a whore then why did he do this to me? Not that I wish that on anybody, but why me?" She said almost begging me with an answer.

Бог, I hope she didn't hate me once I told her this. (God). "Yuri did this. He hurt you because of me, Angel. He was mad at me and to get back at me; to hurt me, he went after you."

She swallowed and my heart constricted when she lowered her head. "He said that Igor handed the business over to you." She stated as her head came up. "That's true?" She made it into a question. I nodded and she frowned. "How come you didn't tell me?" She asked; her voice sad.

I cupped the side of her face and caressed her cheek with the pad of my thumb. "You had too much on your plate already, My Angel. It was not important. You are important."

Then she smiled. "You're important too, Misha. I love you. You're my family."

I couldn't help but kiss the tip of her nose once again. She really was an angel. "You're my family too. My only family. I would die for you, Angel."

She shook her head violently. "Don't talk like that. I don't like it." She said forcefully.

"I'm sorry. No more talk like that. And for now on I'll you everything I can."

She really smiled this time. Her whole face lit up. "Thank you, Mishy."

"You're welcome. Just don't tell anyone that I'm really a softy at heart. It would ruin my reputation." I told her.

She giggled. "I won't. I promise."

I laughed. I always loved her giggle. "Good. Now I want you to lay back." I helped get her settle against the pillows. The pain lines around her mouth and eyes were becoming more pronounced and I figured she probably need more pain medication. I pushed the call button for the nurse and when she looked to protest, I gave her a look that said 'don't even try' and she pouted. I laughed and settled myself next to her bed in a chair that was far from comfortable. It didn't matter. I wanted to be close to her. She pushed a lock of hair from my face and I captured her small feminine hand in mine.

I had asked her once before but her answer was that he was in love with another woman and they were just friends. But a friend didn't go a little crazy and beat a man to death for another friend. And the way he had been hanging around the hospital and around my Angel, I wanted to ask again. I really wanted to demand it, but I forced the possessiveness I was feeling aside and focused on the question that I wanted to ask. "Now tell me what's going on between you and Manoso."

* * *

><p>Steph's POV- A Week Later-<p>

I entered the fourth floor of the hospital and looked around. Seeing Manny and Junior standing solid outside one of the hospital rooms, I let out a sigh of relief. I had been to RangeMan everyday for the past week and Ranger was never there. Today I finally asked Tank where Ranger was and his answer was St. Francis Hospital. I thanked him and left and here I am.

I should have asked Tank what room she was in but I didn't think about it until I was in the garage and when I called, I didn't received an answer. I figured he was busy. I knew that even if Ranger was here, he would have someone at the door. It didn't matter if the person there was in danger or not, they were guarded if they had any association with Ranger.

I had already been on the first three floors after heading to ICU first which was on the fifth floor. The fourth floor was the winner. If this was where was Ranger was every day for the last week, then he must have serious feelings about this girl. And if he did then I really wanted to get to know her. Whoever captured his heart had to be one heck of a woman. And I wanted to be her friend.

I know he offered me a chance at a relationship but I think he only did that out of regard for my feelings. For the last several years Ranger and I danced around each other and the chemistry between us. And there was chemistry. A lot of it. But there was just something that was never quite right. I finally figured it out while trying to stay clear of Ranger for the last several months. That something was Joe Morelli. My feelings for Joe went beyond anything I felt for Ranger.

Yes when it came to my job and whenever I got in trouble, I called Ranger or RangeMan. Because he believed in me and he respected the fact that I wanted to continue with my bounty hunting job. Joe didn't understand it, but my feelings for him with way further than they did with Ranger. I could see myself five years from now and settling down with Joe, but when I tried to do the same with Ranger, I found myself alone and waiting. However Joe wanted me to settle down now. He wanted me to quit my job and get married now. Should I settle for the love of my life? Should I quit my job and get married because the man I was in love with wanted me to? Those questions were the reason I was here to see Ranger. I wanted his opinion. Hell, I wanted his help.

When I got within hearing range of Manny and Junior, I put on a smile and spoke up. "Hey guys. Is Ranger in there?" I asked.

Both Manny and Junior looked over at me; their blank faces firmly in place. "Hi Steph." They both greeted me in unison.

"Hi." I replied. I nodded towards the door. "Can I talk to Ranger?" I asked again.

Manny nodded and pulled out his phone. He hit a few buttons, and then held the phone to his ear. He said all of three words and hung up the phone. A few seconds later the door opened and out stepped my favorite man in black.

He spoke in low tones to Manny and Junior who then nodded in return. When he finally faced me, I received that two hundred watt smile that I loved and came to expect.

"Babe."

I smiled. "Ranger."

He placed a hand on the small of my back and ushered me away from Manny and Junior. We entered an empty waiting room and sat down side by side on a small chair like couch that was an ugly shade of burgundy.

"Ranger, I need your help." I blurted out.

His attention was hundred percent on me and I suddenly felt guilty. I was tearing him away from someone very important to him.

"Babe."

I met his eyes when I realized I had gotten lost in my thoughts. "I'm sorry, Ranger. I shouldn't be bothering you."

"Babe." He said again. With that one word I knew he was saying, 'Not bothering me. I'm always here for you'.

"Ranger, how do you know when you're in love?" My big mouth once more blurted out something I hadn't intended to say. I was sure I was in love with Joe, I just didn't know what was holding me back.

"Explain." He said.

I smiled. Typical Ranger. "I'm sure I love Joe. I mean I know I love Joe, but am I in love with him. I mean I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him, but how can I be sure?" I threw out in a breath.

"What brought this on?" He asked. I was momentarily stunned for he said more than just one word.

"He wants me to quit bounty hunting for good. Says it's too dangerous and he doesn't want anything to happen to me. But I don't wanna quit. I like my job. But if I'm gonna dedicate my life to Joe then shouldn't I give up bounty hunting. For him?"

Ranger's eyebrow went up. "Babe, I can't tell you what to do. But if you love your job then you shouldn't have to give it up for the man you love."

I let out a whimper. He was right and I knew he was. But I didn't know what to do. "I don't wanna quit my job. But I don't wanna lose Joe either."

"Then compromise, Babe."

It almost a foreign word. Compromise. It never occurred to me before. But how? "But how?" I voiced my thoughts out loud.

"Get a partner. A good partner. One that can watch your back and makes sure that you don't get hurt. One that isn't Lula."

"But who?" I asked because I didn't know anyone like that.

Ranger gave a slight smile. "Bobby."

I frowned. "I thought Bobby had a partner. Lester."

He nodded. "Santos and Bobby are partners, but temporary have split."

Curiosity killed the cat. "Why?"

"A new hire opened his mouth at the wrong time to Santos. So he asked to be partnered with the newbie."

I laughed. "Sort of to scare him to death."

He shrugged. "The newbie is trying to out do himself to please Santos. So it all works out."

"What did the newbie say?" I asked; once again letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"You would have to ask Santos." He replied.

"You really don't know?" I asked and he gave me a look. Okay so he did know, but it was Lester who was gonna have to tell me. Fine. I nodded. "Thanks Ranger. I'll talk to Joe and then ask Bobby if it's okay with him."

"Anytime Babe. No price."

I smiled, nodded, and changed the subject. "Sooooo. What's going on between you and Ashley?" I asked hoping like hell he would tell me.

His eyebrow went back up and he chuckled. "Something I thought would never happen to me."

"You love her." I made it into a statement since I knew it was true.

He gave a barely there shrug. "I'm not quite sure, Babe. But I think so."

I reached over and kissed his cheek. "I'm really happy for you, Ranger. You deserve to be happy." I replied. And it was true. He really deserve to be happy. He never really thought of himself. Only of others.

"Thanks Babe."

I smiled. "Is she awake?" I asked him.

He nodded. "And cranky as ever. She hates hospitals probably almost as much as you do."

That got me to laugh. "Poor girl. Can I talk to her?" I asked. After all I knew what she was going through even if I didn't know exactly what happened to her.

Ranger slowly nodded and stood up. I stood up with him and stopped him with a hand to his arm. "I got this. We've already met once so she won't freak."

He nodded again and sat down. I kissed his cheek and walked out of the waiting room. When I reached Manny and Junior, they both looked over my shoulder before nodding. I smiled. I didn't have to look behind me to know that Ranger gave Manny and Junior permission to let me enter Ashley's hospital room. I gave them smiles, gave Ranger a finger wave over my shoulder without looking at him and entered the room.

Ashley looked up and I received a smile. "Hi Stephanie."

"Hi. Please call me Steph. Stephanie is just too formal." I told her as I walked up to stand beside her bed.

"Hi Steph. Is everything okay?" She asked.

I nodded as I took her in. She was beautiful. I could see why Ranger fell in love with her. Even with bandages, scratches, and bruises covering her body, she was beautiful. She looked like she had been through hell though.

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

She let out a small nervous laugh. "I'm fine really. I just really hate hospitals. It just brings back bad memories."

I cocked my head and sat down in the chair I was sure Ranger had been occupying minutes before. "What happened if you don't mind me asking." I asked; hoping she knew I meant in the past and not what happened last week.

She shook her head. "On my twenty first birthday, my parents bought me a new car. I let my best friend, Janie drive it and my other best friend, Brandon was in the back seat. Janie lost control of the car and," She cut off and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's been over four years but it still feels like yesterday."

I patted her hand and motioned for her to take her time. "Janie was killed instantly but Brandon later died from brain injuries while I only had a few bumps and bruises. But since I shattered my shoulder, I had to spend a few days in the hospital. I was next door to Brandon's room when he flat lined. I heard it all and I was alone and couldn't do anything."

I couldn't stop the tears that welled up in my eyes. That must have been so hard to listen to and not to be able to do anything would have been worse. "I'm sorry, Ashley."

She shook her head and wiped her tears away with a napkin that I hadn't seen her with a few minutes ago. "Thanks." She said before blowing her nose. "Like I said I should be over it, but it's so hard sometimes. I feel like I'm driving poor Ranger crazy. I told him he didn't need to be here all the time, but he insists on staying. He really is sweet." She said.

I couldn't help but laugh. I don't think anyone would describe Ranger as sweet. "He is something." I replied. "What's going on between you two?" I asked.

She looked down right confused. "What? Nothing is going on between us. I mean he has kissed me, but I thought well I wasn't sure what I thought. But I did think he was with you."

I shook my head and leaned forward. "I'm engaged to another man. Ranger likes you. I can't believe you didn't know that."

Her eyes widen. "You think?" She asked hopefully.

I laughed again and nodded. "He does like you. If he didn't, he wouldn't be hanging around here all the time. He's here for you."

She smiled. "I really like him too."

I could tell she did. Her eyes were shining with love. That was all I needed. I didn't want to be nosy, but I had to ask. "Have you and him?" I asked; hoping she knew what I was talking about.

She blushed and shook her head. "No. And I'm scared to death about that too."

"Why?"

"I've only been with one man and it was horrible. Ranger is like hundred times better than my ex ever was. How do I handle a man like that with so much experience?"

"Don't worry about that. Ranger is patient. He won't rush you. I promise."

She smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate the advice. I need it. I really don't have any one to talk to about this."

I looked around and spotted a napkin, much like the one she had in her hand and grabbed it. I jotted down my numbed and handed it to her. "If you ever need someone to talk to, call me. We can go for coffee or something."

She took the napkin and smiled. "Thanks Steph. That means a lot."

I sat back down and leaned in to whisper. "Now I'm gonna give you some advice for much later in your relationship and I promise you'll love it." I told her. I couldn't believe I was gonna tell her this, but hell sometimes it was worth a little embarrassment. Even on my part. And sometimes I wondered what would have happened if it was me and I was Ranger's woman.

"One day, come home without your panties." I whispered.

She blushed and her eyes went wide as saucers. "What?" She whispered back.

I laughed. "Don't do this until you two have officially gotten together. But that morning make a big show of what panties you put on and then before you get back together that afternoon, take them off. And you have to wear something that he'll notice the panties missing."

"Why? Won't he be mad?"

I shook my head. "No, well maybe a little. But he'll want to prove to you that you are his. And there is nothing hotter than a pissed off possessive male."

She swallowed hard and went to chewing on her bottom lip. The blush still hadn't left her face. Ranger had his work cut out for him. "But what will that bring?"

I laughed and leaned over closer. "The hottest sex you'll ever have."

She snapped back; her eyes wider than ever. "Really?"

I nodded and she smiled. "Tell me more?" She asked and I did.


	19. Ranger & Keith

Italics are meant to be Spanish...

Ranger And Keith

Ranger's POV-

"I get to go home tomorrow!" Ashley shouted as I entered her hospital room. She was lit up from ear to ear and her eyes were shining. The bandages had finally come off from her face and from around her neck, but the cuts were still there. The hand shaped bruises around her neck were slowly fading and as of right now they were an ugly yellow color with slight traces of blue and black. She was healing, inside and out.

I gave her my two hundred watt smile before brushing her lips with mine. "When was this?" I asked.

She gnawed her lower lip. The grin on her face was still there. She couldn't stop smiling. "The doctor just left. He said I was healing enough that I could finish healing at home." She said with a squeal.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Her happiness was contagious. Since Steph had left Ashley's hospital room three days ago, a lot had changed. Steph was now partnered with Bobby and taking precautions for her safety. Morelli had compromised with her on that as long as I stayed out of the picture. No problems there. I was busy with Ashley who had also changed.

The minute Steph left, Ashley insisted that I was spending too much time here and away from my business. She told me that with her bodyguards at the door she would be perfectly safe. She didn't want my business to suffer because of her. So we compromised and I agreed with her. So I now spend my days at work behind my desk, working my ass off. In the evenings, I headed over to the hospital and spent the nights with her.

The first night we spent it playing games(do you know the card game, War? I wish I didn't). The next night we spent it watching television(It was CSI:NY and I hated the way she looked at that damn detective) and last night we spent the evening talking. It was last night that I discovered more about Ashley than anybody I knew. Her life growing up as a gymnast and growing up with the parents that life had given her. She loved them she told me. I wanted to ask how could she love them when they all but ignored her. Even when she won contest after contest, their words were not of 'great job' but 'you could have done better'. When she turned twelve, she got a new coach. Coach Keith was his name. He worked her ass off, she said. I wanted to beat the man that made her work so hard every day to the point she could barely hold a pencil. Who would do that to a twelve year old?

And when she was eighteen, she was shocked when her parents told her that she was now going to date her Coach. I guess my surprise wasn't hidden well when she nodded and said, 'yeah I know'. Her parents didn't ask her if she wanted to date him, they told her she was going to. Then when he proposed to her in front of her parents, her mother accepted for her. Ashley convinced herself she was in love with him. But she admitted that now she knew better. She wasn't in love with him. She knew that now. I didn't know what she meant by 'I know that now. It would have been helpful a year ago though'. That little confession, I may not have understood completely, but I was happy to hear it.

The doctor said she was physically healing nicely. The cuts showed no signs of infection. The stitches would be gone in a few days and now she was going home tomorrow. While she was healing physically fine, mentally I wasn't quite sure. She was smiling, laughing, and talking all the time. She talked on the phone daily to Misha and much to my surprise, Santos. She laughed and teased all my men that stood guard to her hospital room door. A door that she insisted be left open so she could talk to who ever was guarding her that day. Despite all that, she wouldn't talk about that day. Those thirty something hours she spent with Yuri, she wouldn't speak of it. She wouldn't talk about the scars her body would hold once everything was healed. She wouldn't talk about the scar on her upper right thigh that Yuri left with his teeth because of my teeth. She wouldn't talk about anything that Yuri had said to her while she was being tortured. She would smile and change the subject. So physically she was fine, but mentally we just wasn't sure.

"Ranger, are you listening?" Ashley's question snapped me back to the present.

I raised an eyebrow and she giggled. "So can I?" She asked.

"What?" I felt like an idiot, because I hadn't been listening.

She giggled again and rolled her eyes. "Can I stay in the apartment on four? The one I was staying in?"

Now how should I answer that? Of course she could stay on four in the apartment she had before all this had happened. But did I want her to? No, I didn't. I wanted her with me on seven. I didn't love her like I loved Steph. But I knew I wanted her in my life and in my bed. For the long haul. The thought of her with anyone else churned my gut and sent the urge of violence through my veins.

"It is, but I would like you to stay on seven with me." I told her and waited. She went back to chewing on the lower lip that I enjoyed tasting myself.

She cocked her head and her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" She asked me.

I smiled at that. Was I sure? I nodded. Oh I was sure. In fact, I was positive. I wanted her with me. I wanted to come home at the end of a hard day with her waiting for me. I wanted to take her to gymnastics practice and back home again. I wanted to eat breakfast and dinner with her. I wanted to watch movies and eat popcorn with her. And I wanted her; beside me, on top of me, and underneath me. Wanting her filled me with a type of longing I hadn't ever felt, not even with Steph. Lately I had been walking around with a permanent hard on just with the thought of being inside her. Taking her and loving her. Sending her into a screaming orgasm while moaning my name. After everything I heard about Keith, that wouldn't take much. That bastard made Ashley feel inferior; frigid in bed. I was gonna fix that as soon as possible. I just knew that she was gonna be a little wild cat in bed and I couldn't wait to discover that. Hell discover and tap in to it.

"Well only if you're sure." She replied.

I nodded again. "I'm sure." I told her. Oh I was ever sure. I needed her in the worse way. I had briefly thought about going to Miami and calling Cynthia. I had called her many a times when the need for release was over powering and I needed some relief. But as I thought it, I pushed it aside. The guilt at just thinking of calling Cynthia was gut wrenching. I couldn't do that. So I decided to wait.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her.

She frowned but it was quickly replaced by a smile. "Good. A little sore but good." She replied.

I nodded. "Good, because I have something to tell you." I hoped she thought it was good.

"What?" She asked nervously.

"Your parents are on their way here." I replied. I called them yesterday when the doctor told me that Ashley was healing wonderfully and could have more visitors. I told them I would fly them on my private jet to here and back home whenever they wanted. They insisted on today. Which left me no time to tell Ashley since I called after I left the hospital later in the evening. I had been hoping for a little time to break it to her and for her to get use to the idea.

"Just my parents?" She questioned.

I nodded. That was all I invited. Just her parents. "Just them." I replied at the exact same time my phone went to vibrating. I checked it quickly and it was a text from Santos to let me know that her parents had arrived at the hospital. I replied back to send them up before focusing my attention back on Ashley.

Her little nose was scrunched up and her upper lip was curled. "They're here, aren't they?"

I smiled and nodded. "They are."

She let out a little sigh. "Okay. Send them in." She looked like a little soldier. Squaring her shoulders and sitting up straighter. She was bracing herself for a war. I had no idea why.

Before I could ask, a knock sounded on the door. I brushed another quick kiss across her parted mouth before crossing the room to open the door. My first thought upon seeing her parents was now I knew where she got her beautiful looks from. Her mother was slightly taller with the same wavy brown hair and brown eyes. However where Ashley was comfy clothes, peaches and cream complexion and ponytails, her mother was classy suits, made up face, and prim hair-dos. Where Ashley's eyes were filled with warmth, playfulness, and love, her mother's were cold and lifeless.

Her father was taller but not taller than me. He too had brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore a three piece suit complete with a tie. He was all put together for a day at the office. Not for visiting his daughter at the hospital, but what did I know. My daughter lived in Florida with her mother and I barely saw her. Hell I barely even talk to her. I shook my head. Maybe I needed to change that.

I held out my hand. "I'm Ranger Manoso." I introduced myself.

Both her parents looked at me or should I say they inspected me. They started with my black dress shoes, traveled up my black dress pants, past my white silk dress shirt and custom made Armani suit jacket which was still buttoned to hide my gun and stopped after reaching the top of my head. I resisted the urge to puff out my chest and hope they approved. I guess it was a good thing, I didn't change after the meeting I had with a client.

I had to admit to myself that I was surprised when they both smiled at me. It wasn't a 'warm so nice to meet you' smile. It was a 'we approve of you' smile. Her father grasped my hand firmly in his. "Dr. Benjamin Monroe and this is my wife Victoria Monroe."

I nodded as we pulled back our hands. "Nice to meet you both. I hope your ride here was uneventful." I said but honestly not really caring.

Dr. Monroe nodded stiffly. "It was pleasant and much appreciated." He replied.

"Mother. Daddy." Ashley's shaking voice sounded behind me and I moved aside. Immediately both of her parents 'rushed' forward to her beside. They didn't really fess over her as they talked to her in hushed tones. I knew I should have left and gave them some privacy, but Steph's mother sat firmly in my mind. Even though so far, Ashley's parents seemed different than Steph's, I wasn't taking any chances by leaving. Especially when I heard what Ashley's mother said next.

"Keith is here too. But he's checking with your doctor when you can be released."

Ashley's little nose wrinkled in obvious distaste. Her distaste was shared. "Mother, I'm getting released tomorrow."

Her father nodded. "That's good. You can come home with us. Where it's safe."

Ashley shook her head in defiance. "No Daddy. I'm not coming home. I like Trenton. This is my new home." She replied as she took a quick peek at me. I winked in return and she blushed and focused back on her parents.

They both looked over at me and I nodded; wiping the smile from my face. I was happy that Ashley wanted Trenton to be her home and that she didn't want to leave. But I wasn't gonna show her parents any special treatment and that included smiling.

Her mother nodded. "Well he does seem to have money so he won't be after yours."

"Mother!" Ashley gasped in shock.

"Dear, that was rude." Ashley's father replied.

Her mother harrumphed and nodded. "I was only speaking the truth. He seems to be interested in our daughter, but what will Keith think. Honey, he loves you."

I snorted. That bastard didn't love her. He probably wanted her money. Not me. I had enough of my own.

"Mother, Keith doesn't love me."

"I beg to differ."

The nasally voice turned my head and so I had to control myself not to laugh. Now everything started to fall into place. All the intimate stuff Ashley told me about, I started to understand. How he didn't care for anything but normal 'laying in the bed with the lights off' sex. How he didn't want Ashley exploring his body and he certainly didn't explore hers. I had to admit that when she told me that, I was completely befuddled. How did any man have sex with this sexy woman and not want to explore every delectable inch of her small frame. Now I knew.

Keith stood about Steph's height, maybe slightly taller. His blond hair was hair dresser perfect and his skin looked perfect, like he had make up on. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans with a light pink button up shirt. On his feet was a pair of expensive Italian loafers. But it was his stance, the way he held himself that reminded me of that guy on television. Steph like to watch those shows that came on right before an awards ceremony. This guy was always dressed to impress and he was all the time critiquing what others wore to those award shows. I couldn't remember his name but I believed it was Carl, Carmen, or something. That guy was gay and I was pretty sure Keith was too. All it would take was one call to Hector who I knew was downstairs and I would know for sure.

"Keith, what are you doing here?" Ashley asked.

He glided into the room and next to her bed. "I'm here to take you back home where you belong. Together we can fix your shoulder and you can get back to completing."

I couldn't see his face, but I didn't like the way his head went up her body and then back down; like he was checking her out. And his next words, made me want to throw him out the fourth floor window. "I'm sure with a plastic surgeon we can take care of those scars. Or at least some of them."

Ashley's whole form went ridge and her eyes lost their smile. She looked at me and I knew exactly what she wanted and when she mouthed 'please', I nodded.

I walked over and grabbed his arm and he jumped ten foot in the air. Ashley's parents watched me with renewed interest as I pulled him towards the door. "You're upsetting her. Get out." I told him as I shoved him out of the door.

"You can't do that. Her parents want me here." He looked over my shoulder. "Right?"

I turned towards them and waited. I wanted to see what they would do. They looked at Keith before turning to Ashley.

"Do you want him here? I thought you two loved each other and wanted to be together." Her mother replied.

Ashley shook her head. "I don't love him. I thought I did." She looked at me before going back to her parents. "I know what love is now and what I feel for Keith isn't. And besides that, you should ask him what happened to my shoulder."

Dr. Monroe's eyes narrowed in on Keith. "What happened to her shoulder?"

It was Ashley who spoke. "He paid the doctor to lie, Daddy. So I could go back to completing before my shoulder was ready. All he managed to do was mess it up even more."

Her father's face took on a whole form of rage. He looked ready to kill someone or just Keith. He took a step forward but Ashley's mother stopped him. "He isn't worth it. Wait until we get home and you take care of him another way." She said softly.

Keith went stiff and his eyes went wide. I didn't think they were talking about killing him. My guess was they were talking about ruining his career.

Her father looked at me. "Please get him out of here."

I nodded and pushed again and he sailed through the open door. I heard Ashley giggle as the door shut firmly behind us. I didn't even look at the guards at the door. "Guard her." I ordered as I continued to push Keith down the hall. Every time he turned to go back towards Ashley's room, I pushed him again. He bitched, whined, and moaned the whole time, but I ignored him. I pushed him into the elevator and waited until the doors were shut.

I cornered him against the wall. "You are going to take your slimy ass back to the air port, get back on my private jet, and carry your sorry ass back to where you came from."

He snorted. "You can't tell me what to do. I'll just talk to her parents and they'll see that what I did was right and we'll be back to get Ashley."

"I don't care what you tell her parents, you will stay away from Ashley. She is no longer any concern of yours."

His eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

I wanted to laugh. "I don't care who the hell you are. Myself on the other hand, well I can buy and sell you several times over. Try what you will but the only thing you'll manage to do is piss me off." I casually unbuttoned my jacket and pushed it back, showing my gun. His eyes went wide as he assessed me just as Ashley's parents did. But when I saw the flash of sexual interest in his eyes it only confirmed my earlier suspicions.

"I'll be damned. You are gay." I actually chuckled.

His eyes snapped up to meet mine and he stuttered. "I am not." He denied.

I nodded. "Don't bother to deny it. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. As long as you stay away from Ashley."

"Why do you want her? She's frigid and cold." He said. "And I am not gay." He added with a muttered.

I grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the elevator walls. "Listen you little fuck shit, all you are is a scared little man hiding out in the closet. Afraid of what the world is gonna think if they find out you're gay. All Ashley is to you is someone to hide behind. To show the world that you're normal. Well let me tell you something, there's nothing to be ashamed of if you're gay and you are so stop denying it. And all you managed to do is show the world that you are nothing but a perverted freak for dating and bedding a girl you've coached since she was twelve."

I let go of him suddenly and he dropped to the floor. He let out a roar and he cold cocked me. I barely felt it. But all's fair and I punched him back. He went down like a ton of bricks just as the elevator doors opened.

Hector stood there with a grin on his face. _"You couldn't resist?" _He asked.

I gave a small shrug of my shoulders. "_Guess not." _I replied. I handed Keith to Hector. _"Make sure he gets back on the next plane to whatever hole he crawled out of." _

"_It would be my pleasure, Boss." _

He grabbed Keith out of my hands and hauled him over his shoulder. "_He is gay, no?" _

I laughed. Right there in front of Hector and a dozen other people I didn't know, I threw my head back and laughed. Hector looked at me, clearly confused at what I was laughing at. But I didn't know how to explain it. I knew Hector would be able to tell with one look, but I never thought Hector would actually confirm it.

"_I believe he is, my friend. I believe he is. And he's all yours." _

Hector looked at me with disgust. "_No Boss Man, He is too slimy for my tastes. And what man wears pink?" _He asked.

I shook my head in silent laughter as Hector walked out of the hospital with the man I managed to knock out with one solid punch. "What man indeed?"


	20. Not Yet

Not Yet

Ashley's POV- Monday

Looking around, I felt out my element. Ranger's apartment was clean and almost bare of any and all personal effects. Even though I grew up in the same kind of house, I felt like I didn't belong. I think it was because Ranger's apartment was small and inviting where the house I grew up in was large and cold. The colors of Ranger's apartment screamed 'sit on me, enjoy me'. And Heaven help me, I wanted to.

It wasn't like I hadn't been here before, but that was different. Now I was pretty sure or maybe I was somewhat sure that Ranger wanted a relationship with me. Even though Steph told me that there wasn't anything between them, I still think Ranger might be in love with Steph. But what did I know? Right now I wasn't really sure of anything. But I was absolutely positively sure that my hormones went crazy whenever Ranger was around. I couldn't follow through with those hormones. That would only prove that what Yuri said had been right.

"Ashley?"

I looked up and found myself looking into Ranger's dark chocolate eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes. I could so get lost in his eyes. They were always swirling with so much emotion, but he kept it seriously hidden when he threw up that blank face of his. I bet his eyes would be almost black when he was turned on. I bet he was passionate in bed. He was probably an awesome lover. I shook my head. Bad thoughts, Ashley. Bad, bad thoughts.

"Yeah?" I replied.

His finger slid down my right cheek and I suppressed the urge to shudder in delight. I loved it when he touched me.

"You need anything?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No I don't. I'll be fine. I promise." I assured him. I loved that he was so worried about me.

The hospital released me early this morning. And Ranger, being the sweet man that he was had huge burgers with lettuce, tomato, and cheese and home made french fries waiting for me when I stepped into his apartment. Ella had went all out on the shopping too. I couldn't resist giving Ella a huge hug before digging into my wonderful yummy burger. Once I had three bites, I gave Ranger a hug too. Hey, hospital food was horrible.

He then preceded to tell me that he had back to back meetings the next three days since they signed a dozen clients last week. He told me that Ella would bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner to me unless I said something. I told him she didn't need to cook for me. That I would be fine on my own. He said it was no bother but there was plenty of food in the cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator if I wanted to cook. He really was a sweet man.

"I'll be busy, but_"

"Ranger." I interrupted softly.

He stopped and looked at me. "I'll be fine. Really." He slowly nodded. "But I do have one question." I said and I got a raised eyebrow in return. I smiled. "Can I leave?"

"Explain."

That one word command made my smile widen. "Am I allowed to leave the building?"

"You aren't a prisoner here."

I nodded. "I just kind of wanna go for a walk and get some fresh air. Being cooped up in a small white room can make ya want a little green and blue." I told him. I wanted, no I needed to get outside. I so needed some fresh air. I hate hospitals.

Ranger nodded. "There's an extra set of keys by the front door. Take those if you leave. And keep aware of your surroundings." He said as he pulled out his phone. He handed it to me. "Call me if you need anything." He added.

I took the phone. "You want me to call you if I need anything?" I questioned and he nodded. "You want me to call you on your phone?" I questioned again as I held up his phone.

He chuckled and nodded. "Tank is speed dial one and Santos is speed dial two. Both of them will be with me during these meetings. Brown is speed dial three and he'll be here doing physicals this week."

I nodded. "I'll call if I need anything. I promise."

He pulled me out of the bar stool chair I was sitting in. I had long ago finished my burger and fries. He had eaten a grilled chicken salad. His reason, 'can't poison the temple on a work day'. I just laughed.

He pulled me into his arms and covered my mouth with his. I eagerly accepted his kiss and he plunged his tongue into my mouth. He caressed my tongue with his as his fingers threaded through my hair. He nipped my bottom lip before pulling away. He smiled, brushed another kiss across my parted mouth, and left.

* * *

><p>As soon as Ranger left, I cleaned up the kitchen. There wasn't a lot to clean up but I wasn't about to let someone else clean up after me. Some how that just wasn't right. I then straightened what I could, but once again there wasn't anything to straighten up. Ella was awesome and nice as ever.<p>

I then headed towards Ranger's bedroom. Looking around I thought well maybe my bedroom too. I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever really have sex with Ranger. With that a shudder of pure pleasure went through me. Never having any happy sexual experiences, this shudder surprised me. But I was pretty sure if I ever really did have sex with Ranger, it would the greatest experience of my life.

I brushed those thoughts aside and quickly changed my clothes. I had already taken a shower that morning at the hospital in the presence of a nurse. The doctor had said that was the only way I would be able to get released. I had to be able to take a shower without any help. Then he would know that I had healed enough to be able to go home. I didn't really understand why that would let him know I was ready until I got in the shower. By the time I finished, I was exhausted. Holding up my arms to wash my hair had pulled the stitches in my stomach and the ones in my arm and it had oh so hurt so bad. But I suffered through it. I wanted to go home. My ribs still ached quite a bit but I fought through that too.

The light blue jean shorts and light blue tank top Ranger had brought me to put on at the hospital probably would have been fine, but I felt like I was too much on display. So I pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and a black hooded sweat shirt that belonged to Ranger. I then slipped on a pair of black flip flops.

Grabbing the extra set of keys I quickly walked out the front door and walked down the seven flights of stairs. By the time I got down to the third floor, I was in more pain than I thought necessary. I pushed through it and continued to the lobby. I waved bye to the guy at the front desk that I hadn't seen before and walked out of the building.

I pulled the hood up and smiled when it did exactly what I wanted. It hid my face my view. In fact the sweat shirt itself swallowed me whole. It was exactly what I needed. I then headed to Erik's gym.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV- Tuesday<p>

I couldn't resist. I should have but I couldn't. It helped clear my mind. Helped me think. I needed to think. I had a lot to think about. So once again I pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and a black hooded sweat shirt and slipped on my flip flops. I grabbed the keys and headed once more to Erik's gym. It was only a few blocks and it was a little chilly but the over size sweat shirt helped keep the cold wind at bay.

Last night had been sweet and completely wonderful for me. I ate dinner with Ranger and then we watched television. We watched more CSI:NY. Although I didn't quite understand why Ranger didn't like Detective Flack. He said he was too cocky. Okay, if you say so. That had been my reaction. He laughed and then we watched House Hunters. I really like that show. Ranger seem to like it too.

I finally fell asleep cradled in Ranger's arms while watching The Golden Girls. I don't think Ranger really cared for that show either, but he sat through it for me. He really is a sweet man. I just hope I don't get my heart broken by falling in love with him. Because well I have. He's so darn easy to love.

Arriving at Erik's gym, I opened the door and slipped inside.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV- Wednesday<p>

"What did you do today?" I asked Ashley. We had just settled down with grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. At Ashley's request of course. She wanted fried chicken or so Ella told me, but she went with grilled chicken breasts for me. That clenched something tight inside me. But I didn't stop to ponder what.

As for my question to Ashley. The last three days I knew she had been going to Hatch's gym. When she asked me if she could leave the building, I was immediately on guard. So I went down stairs and assigned Manny and Ram to watch her that day. When she left the building, they followed her to Hatch's gym.

I thought no big deal. Hatch had only seen her once since she was taken so I assumed she wanted to see him. To let him know she was okay. She was there for over three hours. But again not a big deal.

The next day I assigned Junior and Zero to watch her. And again she went to Hatch's gym. This time she was there for over half the day. When Junior called and reported that to me, I told him not to approach her. I wanted to wait and see.

Wednesday brought the same results. She left almost as soon as I headed to five and she didn't come back until almost four that afternoon. She spent the whole day with Hatch. I knew she wasn't working out. Or at least she better not be. The doctor told her she wasn't any where near ready. But I almost preferred her to be working out then the alternative. I didn't want to think about her being with Hatch. In any way.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I went for a walk and that's pretty much it."

I nodded in reply. So she decided to lie to me. I didn't know what I thought of that. But for now there was nothing I could do about it. Until Friday. Friday my schedule was clear and if she decided to head to Hatch's again, I would follow her.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV- Friday<p>

The call came thirty minutes after I left.

"She just left the building."

"I'll follow her today. You both have the day off." I told Ram. He replied in thanks and hung up. I grabbed my keys and headed out of the building. By the time I got to Hatch's gym, she had already been there for about twenty minutes. I opened the door and fought the impulse to claim Ashley in front of Hatch and everyone else in the gym. I wanted them all to know that she was mine. I wanted Hatch to know that she was mine and he couldn't have her. But I didn't. After all, I didn't really know what Ashley was doing here day after day.

The sight that greeted me caught me completely off guard. Ashley was in the corner of the gym wearing all black. She pretty much blended into the background. She looked small and helpless. Hell, I wouldn't even have know it was her if she hadn't been wearing my black sweat shirt that said RangeMan in huge letters on the back. That sweat shirt was the only one that was that style. I didn't care for the huge lettering on the back so Ella made the rest of them with the small lettering on the front.

She was swallowed up by my clothes. The only thing I could see was her tiny feet sticking out from underneath the cuff of her black pants.

Is this what she had been doing for the last week? Sitting in the corner of this huge gym and watching everything that was going on around her. If so, then why? What was going on through that pretty little head of hers? I was just about to find out. I looked around and saw Hatch next to the balance beam. He nodded at me before looking over at Ashley then back at me. I nodded in return.

I walked over to Ashley and sat down next to her. She tensed at the contact but when she looked up and saw me, she relaxed. But there was still surprise written all over her face.

"How did you know I was here?" She asked in a whisper.

"I've had my men following you all week, Querida." I told her.

Her eyes widen and the frown on her face deepened. "So, you knew I was lying to you?" She asked and I nodded. "I'm sorry." She replied.

"Why did you lie?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I guess I knew if I told you I was coming here every day then you would ask why. And I didn't have an answer to that."

"And is this what you've been doing here every day? Sitting here in the corner and watching?" I questioned.

She nodded. "Every day."

I slipped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me. I felt relieved when she came willingly. "What's going on through that head of yours?" I asked.

She sniffed and snuggled deeper against me. "A lot." She whispered.

"You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

I pulled her into my lap, ignoring the stares around me. I didn't care about them. I cared about the sweet little form in my arms and the fact that she wasn't here to see Hatch.


	21. Laughter

Laughter

Ranger's POV-

Two weeks. Two weeks and I was going crazy. I didn't think that was possible, but Ashley proved me wrong. Ever since that day at Hatch's gym two weeks ago, we had developed a routine.

We got up together at 0430 hours and went downstairs to the gym. While I worked out, Ashley walked on the treadmill. She left ten minutes before I did so she could take a quick shower and then I followed behind and took mine. We ate breakfast together. Unless it was the weekend, we ate whole wheat toast, fruit, and yogurt. During the weekends, Ashley went crazy and cooked breakfast. Enough to feed an Army. Us. She invited Santos, Tank, and Brown up for breakfast three out of the four weekend mornings we had. She fixed bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, and hash browns. My men and myself were working out twice as much. But it was worth it.

While I worked, Ashley watched television or went to the roof or went back to the gym. At lunch, I came upstairs and we ate together. Then I go back to work and she goes back to reading or watching television. Then we ate dinner after I got off work. After eating, we spent the evenings watching television, playing games, talking, or my favorite, making out. On the weekends, we have went to the beach, the carnival, the Farmer's Market, and my least favorite, shopping.

In those two weeks, she's been to the doctor twice. When it was time for the stitches to be removed, she begged me to let Bobby do it. I caved because Bobby is after all the best doctor there is. Why else would I hire him? When Bobby said that the bite on her leg was infected, we went back to the doctor from the hospital. He gave her a shot to kill the infection. Went back a week later and the stitches were removed and she was declared healthy and fit. Her ribs and breast bone had completely healed and most of her cuts were scabbed over. The doctor however told her to wait at least another month before trying any gymnastics. He said it was just to be safe. She could work out a total of thirty minutes a day doing the treadmill or the stair climber, but that was it.

Despite all that, she still wasn't talking. And until she talked, I refuse to take our relationship any further than a few kisses. Okay so it wasn't like Ashley was begging me to take her to bed because if she was, well we would have already ended up there. But I wanted her to talk to me and I didn't know how to get her to talk to me. That was a first for me. Most woman would be dying for me to listen to their every word and then begging me to take them to bed. Ashley was different and I was discovering that more and more every day.

She was unlike any woman I have ever met. The more time I spent with her, the more I knew I was sure I wanted her in my life for the long haul. But I still wasn't sure if I loved her.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

"Will you come with me?" She asked me on a clear and beautiful Saturday morning.

"Go where?" I asked.

"To Erik's." She replied.

"Any reason why?" I questioned. I noticed that since she came to live with me, I talk a lot more. Well at least to her.

"I can't explain it. I just need to go."

I couldn't deny her that so I nodded. The smile that lit up her face was worth anything. I smiled back and ushered her towards the bedroom. "Go get ready." I told her.

She nodded as she checked me out. "Aren't you gonna change?" She asked.

I probably should since I was in combat mode; black cargoes tucked into black combat boots, tight black RangeMan t-shirt and full utility belt. I gave a shrug of my shoulders and took off my belt. I tucked the gun into my waistband at the small of my back.

I looked at her and grinned. "Better?" I asked.

She laughed, shook her head, and left the kitchen. I probably should have changed, but I know I'm more intimidating wearing all black with my gun tucked at the small of my back. And that's exactly what I was going for. I also know going to the gym is helping Ashley heal, but I was determined in some way to lay claim to her so Erik knew to back off and not ever try anything with her. I may be a poacher, but I never share.

Ashley cleared her throat and I turned around to look at her. And I immediately frowned. She was wearing the same black yoga pants and black sweat shirt. Her frown matched mine and she went to gnawing on her lower lip. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and settled her so she was cradled intimately against my groin that was growing rapidly. She rested her hands on my chest.

"What are you wearing, Querida?" I asked her. Even when she went down to the gym with me, she wore jogging shorts and tank tops. However when we went out she wore jeans and long sleeve shirts. I wasn't sure what was going on through her head, but I needed to change her frame of mind and quickly.

She was still chewing on her bottom lip. "Clothes." She replied.

My eyes narrowed in on hers. "Why don't you wear a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. It is a little hot today so you might over heat wearing that." I told her.

She shook her head. "I don't know if I should, Ranger."

"Should or can?"

She swallowed hard and lowered her head. "I don't know if I can." She admitted softly.

I used the tip of my finger to tilt up her chin. I wanted to look into her eyes. When they finally met mine, I smiled. "For me."

She let out a sigh and nodded. "I'll try."

I brushed a kiss across her mouth. "That's all I ask."

Twenty minutes we were walking towards Hatch's gym. This time Ashley was wearing a pair of light pink yoga shorts and a black T-shirt that had RangeMan written in pink in the upper left hand corner. It looked as though Ella had been busy. I made a mental note to give Ella a raise. Not only did Ashley look sexy as hell with my name on her, but I felt like I was staking my claim at the same time.

My hand was tightly clasped in hers as we walked together toward our destination. She was quiet and I wasn't quite sure what to expect once we arrived. We got to the front door and Ashley came to abrupt stop. She turn to look at me.

"Are you sure you wanna go in? You don't have to. I'm not gonna do anything but watch."

I once more pulled her against me. "I'm going in." I told her.

She nodded and pulled away. We entered the building together and I immediately sensed the tension filling Ashley's small body. She looked around and took several deep breaths before she finally took a step forward and I followed her to the corner of the room. But this time instead of sitting on the floor, we sat on the bench. I liked my advantage point as I could see everything going on around me and no one could sneak up behind me.

I noticed instantly that Erik's eyes would continually come back to rest on Ashley but they stayed away from me. I kept one eye on him; making sure he didn't come any closer and the other eye on Ashley. I wanted to see what she would do.

She scanned the room, biting her bottom lip. There was argument between two women about twenty feet away from us and Ashley's attention seem to focus in on that. She watched for a few moments before getting up and heading over there. I put a hand on her arm and she turned to look at me.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

I scanned the room; not quite sure what I was looking for. I needed some insight on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I didn't know if I could do gymnastics anymore. I loved it though so I wanted to be around it. Or so I thought. I talked about coaching before, but could I do it? I wasn't sure if I could or not.

There was two women about fifteen or twenty feet in front of us and they were arguing. But my attention wasn't on them. It was on the little girl who sat on the mats looking sad and defeated. I could tell from my seat that she had down's syndrome. Gymnastics was a good sport for people with down's syndrome, or so I heard. But this little girl didn't look as though she was having fun at all.

I got up to head over there, but Ranger's hand on my arm stopped me. I turned to look at him. His face said it all. "I'll be fine." I assured him. He nodded and dropped his hand. I continued until I reached the blond haired little girl and sat down beside her.

She looked up at me with beautiful green eyes and smiled. I smiled in return. "Hi! I'm Ashley." I introduced myself.

"I'm Kelli." She announced with proud, but her eyes were still swimming with sadness. My heart clenched and I thought of another time and another sweet innocent little girl. I fought those tears and smiled bigger.

"I like the name Kelli. Did you know that Kelli is Irish for Warrior Princess?" I asked her.

Her smile disappeared and I felt like a heel. "I'm no warrior. Warriors fight. I don't fight."

"Warrior also means brave. You're very brave." I told her before glancing over at the women who were still arguing. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I focused my attention back to Kelli.

"Brave?" She questioned.

I motioned around me. "You're here. Learning gymnastics, right?" I asked.

She slowly nodded. "I like gymnastics."

I giggled. "Me too." I told her. "Why so sad?" I asked after a minute of silence.

"Cuz I can't do a roll."

"A roll as in somersault?" I asked; making sure of what she was talking about.

She nodded once again. "I can't do it. My mom is mad."

I was hoping she was mad at Kelli's coach and not at Kelli. Because if she was mad at Kelli then Ranger would have to carry me out of here kicking and screaming at Kelli's mother.

"Why is your mom mad?"

Kelli shrugged. "She's mad cuz Amy's mad."

I was getting more lost. I hope Kelli didn't notice. "And Amy is?"

Kelli let out a little sigh and I smiled. She pointed to one of the women. "Amy." She said.

I nodded. "Amy is your teacher." I replied and Kelli nodded. "So because you can't do a somersault, Amy got mad and because Amy got mad, your mom got mad."

Kelli nodded. "Amy yelled at me."

Well Amy needed to be slapped, I thought silently. But how did I handle this? I looked over once more at Amy and Kelli's mom who wasn't paying attention at all.

"How old are you, Kelli?"

She held up both hands and spread out all ten fingers. "This many." She said. Okay she was ten. And adorable.

"Can I help you with your somersault?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not good."

I frowned. "I bet that you are. Come on. Please." I pleaded. "For me." I said using Ranger's words.

She let out another sigh and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

I watched as she walked over there and completely ignored the adults and sat down next to the little girl I admit to not seeing before now. She was a cute little girl. She couldn't be more than seven or eight years old. She looked way too small to be out there doing gymnastics, but then again Ashley was small as hell so maybe the size was an important factor in gymnastics. The smaller the better.

When Ashley stood up and helped the little girl to her feet, the two women stopped arguing and watched. I watched as Ashley stood at the edge of the mat with feet firmly together and her back straight. She turned towards the little girl and I could see that she was talking. She then crouched down and the little girl followed. My heart jumped to my throat as I watched Ashley tuck her head in and roll. She came out of the roll on two solid feet; throwing her hands in the air as she did so.

The little girl clapped and cheered and Ashley being Ashley, blushed and smiled. She then walked over to the little girl and said something and the little girl nodded. One of the women behind them said something and Ashley threw her a dirty look. That surprised me. I had never seen Ashley look at anyone with anything other than sweetness. Ashley then turned back to the little girl and whispered in her ear. The girl whose face was once of sadness went back to a smile as before.

Ashley then preceded to guide the little girl through a somersault. And when after her fourth try she was able to get to her feet, she let out a whoop of delight and hugged Ashley. Ashley wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and hugged her back. I could see that she was talking to the girl and the girl was nodding vigorously in return. The girl then ran to one of the women that was arguing with the other one and hugged her.

Ashley approached the little girl and what I'm guessing was her mother. The girl's mother smiled at Ashley and talked and talked. Ashley replied in kind; smiling. Ashley's face was flushed when the girl's mother handed Ashley a card. Ashley looked surprised but nodded. She whispered once more to the little girl who nodded with a smile. She waved good bye and headed in my direction.

I stood up and when Ashley got close to me, I pulled her into my arms. "You okay?" I asked.

She nodded and hugged me. "I wanna go home, Ranger."

I pulled her away from her and looked into her eyes. They were shining with happiness and nervousness. Maybe just maybe things could progress from here.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

We entered my seventh floor apartment and Ashley went straight into the bedroom. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. I pulled my gun from my waist band; placing it on the counter for now and leaned against the counter; crossing my feet at the ankles. I took a drink of water before leaning my head back against the cabinet and closing my eyes.

Ashley had been silent the whole way home. For the first time in my life, the silence drove me crazy. I wanted her to talk to me. I wanted to know what was going through her head. I wanted to know her thoughts. But she was silent. As we walked back to RangeMan, she gnawed on her lower lip. I knew that might she was nervous or anxious. I just didn't know about what.

I heard her small foot steps first. She came out of the bedroom and stopped at the kitchen door. Or at least the foot steps did. I opened my eyes and came face to face with Ashley who had changed clothes. She was now wearing a pair of light blue pajama bottoms and another RangeMan t-shirt; my RangeMan t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her lower lip was quivering, and unshed tears filled those milk chocolate brown eyes.

She was waiting for something. That I was sure of. But I didn't know what. She stood there in the door way of the kitchen with sadness and fear written all over her face; waiting for something. I sat my bottle of water on the counter and opened my arms. "Come here." I said it softly but my voice held no room for any argument. Not that she gave me any. Those unshed tears flowed freely as she threw herself into my arms.

I picked her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around my waist. I carried her into the living room and sat down on the couch. I rocked her as she cried. I rubbed my hands up and down her back and she cried. I whispered words of sweet Spanish to her and she continued to cry. It seemed like hours had went by as she sat in my arms and cried, but in reality it was only about ten minutes.

When she finally pulled back to look at me, my shirt was soaked with tears and Ashley's normally happy face was red and swollen from crying. I handed her a Kleenex from the inn table by the couch and she smiled her thanks. She dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose.

"I'm scared." She whispered softly. "Ranger, I'm so scared and I don't understand why."

"Let's start with the beginning, Querida." I replied. Maybe if she started with the beginning she would understand why she was scared. She nodded and I continued. "What are you thinking about right now?" I asked her. I almost smiled but kept it at bay. Who ever would have thought I would be asking that, most especially to a woman.

"About Kelli and her mom, Maggie."

I couldn't help it. "Who?"

Ashley smiled as she played with the tissue in her hands. "Kelli was the little girl at Erik's and Maggie was her mom." I nodded. So that's who that was. "Kelli has down's syndrome. And her mother asked me to be Kelli's coach. But I can't." She replied as new tears filled her eyes. "I can't, Ranger. I just can't."

I grabbed a Kleenex and gently wiped the tears away from Ashley's soft cheeks. "Why not, Sweetness? You're good at what you do. Damn good."

She shook her head with such aggression that I thought she was gonna do some damage. "I can't do it. Doing gymnastics would mean wearing leotards and performing in front of people." She told me as she continued to pull and yank at the used tissue. I grabbed it from her hands and placed mine and hers both on the inn table.

"I thought you liked performing in front of others?" I questioned. I had no idea where her mind was going. Not a clue. As for the leotard wearing, I was all for that. As long as every male out there understood that Ashley was mine and that she was coming home with me.

"I do. No I did. I don't know. Performing means that everybody will be watching me. And when performing, all I can wear is a leotard and I can't wear a leotard. Ever." She exclaimed as she went to running her fingertips along my abs.

We were back to the leotards. I didn't understand this. "Why can't you wear a leotard, Bebé dulce?" I asked; the Spanish endearment slipping off my tongue.(sweet baby)

"Because it shows too much. I can't show my body. I can't do it anymore." She replied before lowering her eyes.

I now had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. "Why can't you show your body, Bebé dulce?" I asked.

She mumbled something but it was so low, I didn't understand. I grabbed her hands in one of mine; since there was only so much of her touch I could take. The small circles and patterns she was drawing on my lower torso was making me hard and that was the last thing I wanted right now.

With my other hand, I grasped her chin gently and made her look at me. "Why Ashley? Why can't you show your body anymore?"

"Because I don't want others to think I'm a whore. I don't want to give them the wrong idea about me. I'm not a whore, Ranger." She choked on the words so I knew it took a lot for her to say them. "I'm not a whore. I'm not. I promise, Ranger. Please don't hate me. I'm not. I'm really not." She sobbed and I pulled her roughly to me.

"Shh. No you're not, Bebé dulce. You're not a whore, Querida." I continued to whisper the words over and over as she went back to crying.

I was pretty sure that Yuri was the one that beat it into her brain that she was a whore. That fucking lying bastard. I never regretted killing Yuri. Now I was regretting that I killed him too quickly. Beating him to death wasn't nearly satisfying enough. I should have ripped his dick off and shoved it down his fucking throat.

She pulled back and I once more grabbed a clean tissue and wiped her eyes. "You don't think I'm a whore?" She asked me softly.

I threw aside the tissue and took her face between my large hands. "Bebé dulce, I can assure you that you are not a whore. You are a very sweet and loving person. Beautiful on the outside and even more so on the inside. You do not use your body in any way that would classify you as a whore. You have to believe me. _Me._ Not Yuri. Believe me."

She sniffed as she grabbed my wrists in her small hands. "Then why do you want me around? Why do any of you want me around?"

I brushed a kiss across her mouth. "Because you're you. I can't explain it any other way. We like hearing you talk and we like hearing you laugh. We like watching you smile and making you smile. Because you are you. You're funny, sweet, compassionate, loving, adorable, and you're sexy as hell." I told her; making a mental note to beg her to never tell anyone this side of me.

"Really?" She questioned, looking shocked as hell.

I grinned. "Yes really. But don't think for one minute that I don't want you because I do. I want you very badly. And one day I'm gonna have you and when I do, I'm not letting you go." I told her. Although it felt more like a warning.

She shook her head. "You don't want me." She informed me.

"I don't?" I asked.

She shook her head. "You don't."

"Why don't I?" I asked; going along with her. And already knowing what she was gonna say.

"Because I told you. I'm horrible in bed. I suck at sex."

I nodded. "Mmmm. And who told you this?" I asked. Once again already knowing the answer.

"Keith told me."

"Keith is an asshole." I replied. Her eyes narrowed and I shook my head. "Let's back up a minute. First, you're not a whore. Okay?" When she went to chewing on her lower lip, I knew the issue wasn't resolved. I knew she had went through something that few others would ever go through and I didn't know what to say or do to make it better. "How about we call a psychiatrist and you talk to them?" I suggested.

"Would that be okay?"

I couldn't resist brushing another kiss across her mouth. "It will be fine. You need to understand that you're not a whore. That you're perfect just the way you are and if a psychiatrist will help with that, then I'm all for it."

She nodded. "Will you come with me? I don't wanna go alone."

I nodded. "I would be honored to go with you, Bebé dulce." I told her.

She went back to chewing on that lip. "What if I don't like it?" She asked; giving me a narrowed look.

I grinned. "Then you stop going."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

She nodded in return. "Okay, I'll go."

I smiled; happy to have that settled if only temporarily. Now for Keith. The only way to go about this was brutal honesty. So I did. "Keith is gay."

Her head snapped back and she frowned. "I turned him gay!" She almost shouted.

I laughed and shook my head. "No, Bebé dulce. He was gay long before meeting you." I assured her.

Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?" She asked.

Shit. I forgot about that part. I took a deep breath. "I caught him checking me out."

Her eyes widened and she fell against me laughing. Her happy laughter filled my quiet apartment. She laughed so hard that I squeezed her to me and laughed right along with her.


	22. Yes Please

Spanish is in Italics..

Yes, Please

Lester's POV-

How she does it? I don't know. But she's tough. She's strong. She's a survivor. Then I guess she would have to be if she was gonna spend the rest of her life with my cousin. Putting up with him all the time; she really deserves a medal. Maybe I should get her one. A shiny gold one. It should be hanging from a black and purple ribbon. Black for Ranger of course and purple for her. Not a dark purple though, a light colored purple or maybe pink. She likes pink. She really is a girly-girl. Not so much into the make up thing, not that she needs it though. No, Ashley is more of a dress up, treat her like a princess kind of girl. Cherish her. Put on a pedestal and keep her safe.

Shaking my head, I thumped my forehead against the steering wheel a few dozen times. Where the hell is my mind at? Maybe it isn't my fault that I'm having crazy thoughts. Since I usually have a partner to keep me busy while waiting. I never have a problem with surveillance since I guess I'm watching or waiting for something or someone. But just sitting here by myself, waiting for Ashley to get through with her psychiatrist appointment was hard as hell. For the first two weeks I went inside with her. Not to actually see the good doctor, but I sat in the waiting room. Then about a week ago she softly and sweetly informed me that she wanted to try to go in by herself. I fought with her on it for about three minutes. I'm a sucker but only for her. She's gonna be family after all.

And Ranger is sure gonna have his hands full with that one. She's got enough spirit that she'll speak up when Ranger wants to keep her locked up for no reason but not stubborn enough to deny being safely locked up when it was absolutely required. And when Ranger left almost a month ago, he wanted to lock her up at RangeMan until he got back. When she flat out refused, Ranger got pissed off as hell. I can't believe how mad he got. He ordered Tank and myself to leave his office, but I refused. I knew what he was gonna do. I had seen it several times before when he used it on Steph.

He press her up against some wall, making sure that she could feel his arousal. Then he would kiss, suck, lick, and nip all over her neck and then kiss her senseless. Steph of course would cave almost immediately, melting into a puddle at his feet. Nope, I didn't want Ashley to do the same. I wanted her to have some back bone and fight against his crazy ass demands and oh did she ever. She made me proud. She does that a lot.

She told Ranger that she wasn't in any danger. Yuri was gone and she didn't have any one else after her. But to make him happy, she would always take one of us with her anywhere she went. And while he was gone, she would only go to her doctor's appointments. And maybe out to eat once in a great while, she added softly with a smile. I could tell Ranger wasn't happy with that, but he agreed. After she left the room, he informed Tank and myself that she wasn't allowed outside of RangeMan without Tank, Brown, or myself. He added, or Ram and Cal. He knew he could trust them too. But he wanted to keep it at a minimum. For her safety. He also informed us that she wasn't allowed anywhere near Hatch's gym unless one of us was with her. And she most definitely wasn't allowed any where near Hatch himself without one of us present.

I wasn't sure if he trusted Ashley or not, but I seriously think it had something to do with Steph and her relationship with the cop. He didn't want to take a chance on losing Ashley to an old friend as he did Steph. But I seriously think that Steph was never meant to be his. She belonged with Morelli. And even if she didn't, it didn't matter. As long as the Burg was around, Steph would continue to run back to Morelli.

I looked up just in time to see Ashley step out of the building with a card in her hand and her phone pressed to her ear. She looked over at me and smiled; holding up that one finger that everyone knew meant, 'just one minute'. I gave her a smile and nodded my okay. She turned her back to me as she continued to talk on the phone. I rolled my window down but I wasn't able to hear her words. She was so soft spoken, I swear she could beat Ranger hands down in the silent department.

After a few more minutes, she hung up the phone and came running over to the truck. I hopped out and caught in my arms as she flung herself to me. I smiled as I swung her around and she giggled with such abandonment that I knew that something good had happened today. Especially since she has never flung herself at me before.

After a minute, I sat her down on her feet. "Good news, Baby Girl?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Very good news." She replied. "Is Ranger back yet?" She asked while chewing on her bottom lip.

I gave her a sad smile and shook my head. "Not today." I replied. She asked that after every session. She would come out of the doctor's office and smile. I would ask her how it went, she would answer and then ask if Ranger was back yet. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; it was always the same answer. Not today. She kept her smile today though. Normally when I told her no, she lost that smile. Today she did not. She must have received very good news. Or had a break through.

I helped her into my large truck and slid in beside her. "Where to now?" I asked. I really wanted to ask her what had happened with her doctor, but I didn't want to be nosy or intrude. If she wanted to tell me, she would. Maybe not today, but eventually she would.

She looked at her watch and then at me. "I have a doctor's appointment and then maybe we could do lunch."

"Where at?" I asked.

She gave a slight shrug. "I just want Chinese."

I smiled. "I know a good place on Hamilton. We'll go there."

"Good. My treat." She suggested. She did that every day. And every day I had the same response.

I snorted. "I don't think so, Gorgeous."

Her beautiful brown eyes narrowed but she kept her mouth shut. I resisted the urge to say, 'good girl'. I just smiled and asked another question.

"Is this doctor visit a personal one?"

"Aren't all doctor's visits personal?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Smart ass."

She giggled at that. She was definitely happier this afternoon. I just hope I didn't go pissing her off. "Just a word of warning, I don't care how personal this visit is, I'm going in with you to see the doctor." I told her and waited for rhino mode to appear.

She nodded instead. "Okay."

I did a double take. "Just okay? You aren't gonna argue."

She shook her head. "I do remember what happened last time you left me alone in an exam room, Lester. I get it. I do. In fact I really kind of want you in there with me." She replied softly.

My heart clenched. "Do you blame me for that day?" I asked. Again.

She scooted over next to me and leaned against me. "Not at all. But a little part of me is still scared. And I know you are too."

I didn't argue.

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

"So birth control, huh?"

I looked up at Lester to find him grinning and I found myself blushing. I couldn't help it. I stuck my tongue out at him and threw a fried donut at his forehead. He caught it easily and popped it into his mouth. The grin never left his face.

How did I answer his question? Did I ignore him? Or change the subject? Or maybe just speak the truth? Not that there was anything wrong with birth control because there wasn't. I was just being safe. It made me a little nervous because of what happened last time, but Lester was in there and I was perfectly safe. However the last time I asked for birth control was simply to be safe; a precaution. I didn't really think Ranger and me would have sex. But this time was different. I knew eventually Ranger and me were gonna have sex and being a responsible adult, I wasn't gonna let Ranger take care of the birth control. I wanted to take care of my part.

But honestly if I was truthful with myself, I would have to say that even the idea of having sex with Ranger scares the crap out of me. After all he's a very strong, virile, and sexy man. He's use to women that have loads of experience. Me, not so much. The only experience I have is with a gay man. A gay man! A month later and I'm still mentally slapping myself on that one. How did I not know that Keith was gay. Now that Ranger told me that, I see it. He reminds me of Carson Kressley. Looks like him too. Which is just weird. How did I miss that?

"Ashley?"

Lester's voice intruded on my thoughts and I focused back on his face. "Yeah?"

His left eyebrow went up in question. "I lost ya there for a minute. You okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "I'm good and very very full. Thank you for lunch, Lester."

He grabbed another fried donut, this one also from my plate, and popped it into his mouth. "De nada, Gorgeous. Anytime."

"My treat next time?" I asked.

He laughed and shook his head. "Not happening, Baby Girl. Ever."

I glared and he laughed harder. "Why not?"

"Because women don't pay for their lunch when a man is around." He replied.

My eyes narrowed in on him. There should be more men like him in this crazy world. His momma raised him right. Or maybe his father. Whoever did, they did a great job. I finally smiled. "Isn't that a little sexist?" I teased him with a grin.

He shrugged. "It may be but it's the way it's gonna be with me."

I touched his arm. "You're a good man, Lester."

He wagged his eyebrows. "Wanna run off to Vegas with me and get married."

I laughed and shook my head. "Not today. I have a lot to do."

He shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow then." He said smiling.

I nodded. "Maybe tomorrow."

This time he laid his hand on my arm. "Wanna tell me about that phone call?"

His question blew me away. I guess since it was out of left field. It didn't bother me either way. "Her name is Maggie and her daughter's name is Kelli. I'm gonna be Kelli's gymnastics coach."

He smiled first but then a look of confusion came over his face. "When did you meet them? You haven't been to the gym since Ranger left."

I nodded. "I met Kelli and her mother the last time I went to Erik's." I told him. Then Ranger left three days later. He didn't have a choice. He said he had to go. I can understand that. He was here long enough to find a psychiatrist for me and for us to spend a few days together. He found the most awesome psychiatrist. Mackenzie 'Mac' Stevenson is the easiest doctor to talk to ever. I found it so comfortable to talk to her that I opened up about everything. And today was the best day ever.

"And you're just now calling her back?"

I drew my bottom lip in between my teeth and began to gnaw. I couldn't help but be a little nervous by his question. I didn't really want to share too much. Especially when the reason behind waiting so long to accept was because I thought of myself as a whore, a tease. And I thought being a gymnast would only push that thought towards others.

I slowly nodded. "There was just some things that I needed to work out. For me. Before I could commit to coaching anybody. Especially Kelli. I didn't want to tell her mom that I could then back out when or if I regretted that decision later on. I couldn't do that to Kelli. That would just be horrible." I explained; hoping that would explain enough without too many more questions.

He nodded. "How old is Kelli?"

I smiled. "She's ten. And so adorable."

Lester frowned. "I understand about not disappointing a little girl, but if she's ten won't she understand if something happened and you could no longer be her coach?" He asked with genuine interest.

"I'm sure most ten year old kids would understand, but Kelli is different. She has down's syndrome."

"And she wouldn't understand quite as well as a normal ten year old." Lester interrupted.

I nodded. "Exactly."

"Not that I think you can't do it, but wouldn't coaching a little girl with a learning disability be hard?"

I nodded. "It can be, yes. But if you enough patience and love, anything is possible. I really enjoy gymnastics and watching others enjoy it is fun for me."

"You're a good person, Baby Girl."

I smiled. "You're a good man, Lester."

He laughed. "Just don't tell anyone."

That made me laugh. "You're secret is safe with me."

He ran a hand across his forehead. "Whew." He replied with a grin. That made me laugh even harder.

"You ready to go?" He asked; still laughing.

I nodded. "I'm going swimming with Cal this afternoon." I told him.

He nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Ashley's POV-<p>

"Alright! Alright! Alright! I give up! I give up!" Cal yelled continuously.

"So you'll do it?" I asked him.

He stopped moving and nodded. "I'll do it. As long as you let me know a head of time so I clear my schedule." He replied.

I climbed off his stomach and sat on my knees beside him. "You don't have to clear your whole day. Just a hour or two. She'll need it. Of course I'll have to ask her mom first."

He sat up. "I know I don't need to clear my whole day, but I'll want to give her my complete attention. I don't wanna have to hurry her up. She should be able to take her time."

I smiled. "That's sweet of you, Cal. I appreciate it. But honestly if you don't want to, I will understand."

While swimming laps with Cal, I had an idea. Kelli was just still in the basics of gymnastics and I thought swimming once a week with her would help her gain some confidence with her body since being in the water makes you weightless. She needs to learn to move fluidly and not with jerks. Water will help with that and with her confidence at the same time. With that small somersault she did a month ago, I know for a fact she's gonna be good at gymnastics and I can't wait to teach her.

Cal has been swimming all of his life or most of it anyway from what he told me. So I asked him to help me with her once a week. He was nice about it, but he flat out refused. So I let it go. But I was determined and when I am determined, I am stubborn. When I accidentally brushed against his abs while swimming he shudder and I had a feeling he was ticklish. So when we got out of the water, I pretty much attacked him and tickled him until he caved. But since I'm sure he said no for a reason I wanted to make sure that he understood that if he really didn't wanna do this, he didn't have to.

He shook his head. "I really don't mind. I promise. It'll be good for me."

Cocking my head in question, I had to admit I was confused. Yes again. "I don't understand. What do you mean, it'll be good for you?" I asked.

He let out a sigh and got up. I followed behind him as he grabbed two towels and threw one at me. I caught it swiftly and followed him as he sat down in one of the iron wrought chairs by the pool. I sat down too and started to dry off just as he was doing. I simply waited. I had a feeling whatever Cal was gonna tell me, wasn't easy for him.

The past month for me has been wonderful and at the same time, it has been absolutely terrible. I have gotten to know all the guys here one at time. Before Yuri kidnapped me, I was doing stuff with them. But after, I lost a part of myself that I wasn't quite sure I would ever get back. I've always been comfortable with my body since I was a little girl. I was a gymnast, I had to be comfortable. But Yuri's words had me doubting everything about myself. I never thought I was tease or a flirt and Mac taught me that I wasn't. Yuri was an evil man who wasn't quite right in the head. He was crazy in other words, she said. So two weeks after my first session, I went back to hanging out with the RangeMan guys.

I went back to swimming with Cal. Continued my lock-picking lessons with Hal. My CPR and first aid with Bobby. Ram was teaching me more and more about every type of gun out there. Woody was bad to the bone behind the wheel and on the road. And he was teaching me all about it. Hector's lessons included hacking into major networks, but that was our little secret. I would go to Lester's apartment on four for all night movie sessions, poker games, puzzle night, and make my eyes hurt video game night. I went to lunch with them all; in and out of the building. And did self-dense and hand to hand combat with them all. Every last one of them was fun to be around.

Mac said that my heart knew I could trust all the guys at RangeMan. And that I was comfortable around them. Even if my mind thought otherwise. I asked her how she knew that. She asked me what I normally wore around them. I told her shorts and t-shirts or sometimes tank tops. She then asked me what I wore out of the RangeMan building. I told her the same thing. She called me on it. She said that every session I had been to with her, I was always wearing jeans or sweats and long sleeve shirts. She was right. Whenever I left RangeMan, I covered every part of my body that I could. When I was just with the guys, I was me. She helped me see that too.

It was wonderful being around them because I missed Ranger. Being here without him was terrible and I hated every second. If I had any doubt whether or not I was in love with him before, I don't now. This past month made me realize just how much I loved him. He may not love me now and he may never love me, but it didn't matter. If I get my heart broken, these last couple of months(even with Yuri) will have been totally worth it. Every minute I get to spend with Ranger is a minute that I love.

I didn't realize that falling in love would be this way. I miss everything about him. Everything. I can't believe it. I miss his tough attitude and his silent demeanor when he's working. I miss his cooking and his messiness while cooking. He can cook a mean dinner, but he's a disaster while fixing it. I miss his voice and his stories of family and his childhood. I miss his stories of his friends and the stupid things he use to do. I miss his massages and his touch. The way he would run a finger down my cheek or my nose or the way he would place a hand on the small of my back whenever he entered a room behind me. I miss his eyes. Milk chocolate when happy and when he's teasing me. Liquid coffee when he's working and busy. Dark chocolate when he's angry or upset. And complete obsidian when he's turned on and horny. The last two I had a chance of seeing right before he left. I also missed his kisses. Not just the curl my toes ones, but the sweet ones pressed against the tip of my nose or my forehead. Or the brief hard ones on my mouth. And the teasing ones against my neck.

But what I miss the most is his presence. Just waking up in the morning and knowing that he's in the building helped put my mind and heart at ease. Or waking up in the middle of night and even if he wasn't in the bed beside me, because most of the time he wasn't, I still knew that he was in the apartment. His solid presence is what got me through the few weeks after Yuri. When I wanted to curl into a ball and forgot everything around me, his presence helped me get up and face the day. Since he's been gone, I could no longer feel that strong, solid presence around me. It was difficult, but with the help of Lester and my other friends, I was doing good.

"I was sixteen when I got a girl pregnant." Cal spoke softly and I focused my attention on him and what he was about to tell me.

"I was pissed as hell as first. But it wasn't just her fault so I got over my mad spell and proposed. We got married with our parents' approval of course. She was seven months pregnant with this huge belly at the wedding. I still lived with my parents and she lived with hers, but I was determined to take care of this child."

"When she was a couple of months into the pregnancy they did a test and it came back positive. The baby had down syndrome. We were both devastated. But the doctor said that with the right help, the baby would be healthy and strong and live a normal life. Well as normal as a person with down syndrome can, I guess."

"He was born screaming on the top of his lungs. Jackson was or seemed to be a healthy six pound baby boy. He wasn't. He was born with congenital heart disease. The doctor said it happens to about fifty percent of babies born with down syndrome. He lived for a week. He died in my arms exactly a week later."

"Oh Cal. I wanna hug you. Can I give you a hug?" I asked him.

He smiled at me. "I'm not gonna turn down a hug from you." He replied.

I got up and put my arms around his neck and squeezed. "Cal, I am so sorry."

He pulled onto his lap and hugged me back. "Jackson's mother and me were divorced two months later with the help of our parents." He stated once we pulled back.

I frowned. "Why so quickly?" I asked.

Cal snorted. "She was struggling with the loss of Jackson and she wanted to get pregnant again. I refused. I loved her or so I thought, but I still had my whole life a head of me. And with Jackson's death, I was determined to make something of myself. A month after our divorce, she was pregnant again. This time the father refused to marry her."

"Oh Cal, that's horrible. But I guess everyone deals with death a different way." I replied.

He nodded. "I guess so."

"Do you regret it?"

He shook his head. "Not any of it. Well except for Jackson's death. I wish there was something I could have done." He answered before shaking his head. "But you need to get out of that bathing suit. You've been shivering for the last ten minutes." He told me.

I shivered. I didn't realize that I even was. I nodded and got up with the help of Cal. We walked to the elevator together. "Are you sure you don't mind helping with Kelli?" I asked again.

He threw his arm around my neck and kissed the top of my head. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

I smiled. "Thanks." I told him as we climbed onto the elevator.

We parted ways when Cal got off on the fourth floor. He kissed my forehead before waving his good bye and going into his apartment. I was so very thankful that he was doing this for me. It would really help Kelli too.

I entered the seventh floor apartment and practically ran to the bathroom. I shed my bathing suit before jumping into the shower and underneath hot water. I washed off the chlorine before getting out and drying off and hanging up my bathing suit over the curtain rod. I then slipped one of Ranger's black RangeMan t-shirts over my head, slipped on a pair of pink cotton underwear and snuggled under the covers.

I was just about asleep when I heard the apartment door open and then close. It took only a minute for my body to recognize Ranger's presence. And by then he was standing in the door way of his bedroom. I jumped up and took him in. He was dressed in all black(of course) with combat boots, cargo pants, black wife-beater tank top and a full utility belt. While I took him in, he took me in. The heat of his gaze leaving me in a state of arousal, I have never felt before.

He smiled that huge smile that I loved so much and opened his arms. I launched myself off the bed and into his arms; wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He squeezed me to him as he ran his hands up and down my back and Lordy, over my butt.

He spoke in rushed Spanish but I understood every word. "_Dios Mio, I missed you so damn much. I never thought_." He cut off and squeezed me harder. "_Damn Sweetness, I want you so much. I'm hurting with it. I just wanna throw you down on the bed and sink myself inside your warm heat." _

His words turned me on even more and I couldn't stop myself. "Yes, please."


	23. Dios Mio

Dios Mio

Ranger's POV-

"I'm not answering any more questions." I spat out.

"Mr. Manoso, you must answer the question." The agent, who introduced himself as Agent Tyler at the beginning of this interrogation, informed me. Again.

"It's Colonel Manoso and I've answered that same question three times already. It's gonna be the same answer no matter how many times you ask it."

Agent Tyler grounded his teeth and leaned forward so he was now more in my face than before. "_Colonel_ Manoso, please answer the question."

"What was the question again?" I asked. Hell, I figured if he was going keep me here for no reason than I was gonna fuck with him.

Tyler's face went slightly red. "What happened after you entered the building?"

"What building?" I asked; fighting not to smile when the agent's face got a little redder. Stupid question since we only entered one building.

"What happened after you entered the suspect's house?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Two of my men subdued the civilians that were perched in the front room. Myself and two others went upstairs where we knew the suspect was hiding. While three more went further into the back of the house downstairs."

He jotted down a few words in his notebook before looking back at me. "Who fired the first shot?"

"The suspect fired the first shot, hitting one of my team in the upper torso. However, because he was wearing his Kevlar vest he wasn't hurt."

"Then what happened?" Tyler asked.

I let out a small breath. I really wanted to tell this prick that he could shove these questions up his ass and refuse to say another word. But all that would get me is time in jail. And I wanted to go home. So I answered his question.

"I shot the suspect in his right hand to disarm him. Which it did. I then told the suspect to put his hands up and drop to his knees."

"And did he?"

I nodded. "He did."

Agent Tyler continued to write in his little notebook. "Then what happened?"

"I told one of my team to pat him down and cuff him."

"Why didn't you take that responsibility?"

"The suspect was a dangerous criminal. He was known for turning on and killing cops, law officials, and any one in the military. I wanted my gun on him."

The agent nodded and took down more notes. "And then what happened?"

"Corporal Michaels moved forward to pat down and hand cuff the suspect and when he did, the suspect pulled out another gun. I shot and killed him."

"You shot him in the head? Between the eyes?"

I nodded. "I did."

"Was that the only shot you had?"

"You mean, could I have shot him in the chest or the shoulder instead of killing him?"

Tyler nodded. "Yes that is what I mean."

"Yes I could have but I did not. This guy was a known cop killer. He was known and convicted of several murders of cops. I thought I was doing the world a favor."

"You were not given the order to kill him. You were given the order to arrest him and bring him to trial. You failed your orders."

This was beginning to piss me off. I couldn't believe what they were doing. This guy was a known cop killer. He was convicted of four murders; two cops, a lawyer, and a Navy Seal back from serving our country and the way home to go see his family. He didn't just kill them, he would shoot them in the gut and watch them slowly die. He was also convicted of killing a room full of Marines. I did the world a favor and now I was being treated like a common criminal.

"I'm sorry if you see it that way. But my men were in danger. Men with families; wives, mothers, fathers, and children. My concern is for them. Not a cop killer."

The agent's eyes narrowed. "When you were contacted to bring in the suspect, the lead detective made it clear that he was to be brought in alive."

I nodded in agreement. After all the agent was correct. The detective, a man named Clemmons had indeed told me to bring him in alive. However, I didn't promise that.

"Detective Clemmons did tell me that he wanted the suspect brought in alive, however I told the Detective that I would not and could not make that promise. I told him that if the lives of my men were in danger, I would not hesitate to kill him."

The agent's eyes widen and he sat back. He began to flip through his little notebook and skimmed over it. The agent looked up at me and closed his notebook. I kept my smug feeling off my face but it was hard maintaining my blank face.

The agent stood up. "I will contact the Detective in charge. If he agrees with your statement, then you will be released."

I nodded, but kept my laid back stature in the hard metal chair. I crossed my arms over my chest and my legs at the ankles. The agent left the room, the door slamming shut behind him. I wasn't worried. I never promised to bring in a suspect alive. I never promise. Of course I would rather bring them in breathing, but sometimes and most often because of the suspect in question, that was simply impossible. A lot of them didn't want to spend their lives behind bars especially if they had already been there. And if that was the case, they did anything to keep from returning.

The suspect, a Willie Pickens, was one of those guys. He had been to prison before. For killing a room filled with Marines. The Marines were celebrating. They were leaving the next day; heading home. Pickens came in with a AK-47 and wiped out a room of twenty four innocent men. Men that were fighting for their country. Our country. And due to a screw up in the system, he was released on parole. A month later and he was back to killing military, law officials, and cops. He was caught, convicted, and then he escaped. After everybody failed to capture him, I was contacted. Not RangeMan, just me.

Spending two weeks, tracing and re-tracing everybody's steps, I found him hiding out in down town Cancun, Mexico. The bastard had been living the good life in the sun and sand while loved ones grieved for their loss. Since, Pickens was constantly surrounded by guards and other innocent people, I contacted General Samson. I told him I needed a team. He complied. Within a week, I had a team together and were making plans of Pickens' capture.

Here I am a month later, being questioned like a common criminal because I killed a cop killer. When all I wanted to do was go home. Normally, I didn't mind or even care about the questioning; the debriefing, but this time I did. I had a reason to get home. The last forty-eight hours have been hell. I've called Tank three times to check on Ashley and her progress. I hated leaving her especially since she had just agreed to see a psychiatrist, but I was unable to do anything about it. So after doing a lot of talking, commanding, and barking orders, I left.

I tried to lock Ashley up at RangeMan for the duration while I was gone, but she put her foot down on that. When I ordered Santos and Tank from the room and they both refused, I seethed silently. I gave in, but I hadn't given up. Later while in the privacy of my apartment, I tried to talk Ashley into it. I felt guilty about it now, but I did what I had to do. Even if she didn't fall for it. Although trapping her soft little body against mine and the wall, probably did me more harm than her. I started with her neck as I nipped and kissed my way up the slender column of her throat and along the smooth curve of her jaw. She dropped her head back and moaned low in her throat. Pressing myself harder against her, I took her mouth in a possessive and domineering manner. She whimpered when I sucked on her tongue and nipped her bottom lip. Just when I thought I had her, she pushed hard on my shoulders. And when I drew back away just enough to look into her eyes, she used that small body against me and ducked out underneath me. She smiled then laughed. She told me that under no circumstances would that ever work on her. She liked me, but she wasn't staying on lock down while I was gone. Especially since she wasn't in any danger. She kissed my cheek and went to take a shower.

I sat down on my couch and thought about just what happened. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've used my body to get my way in many situations, but in one of the most times I needed my body to get someone to do something I wanted them to, it didn't work. It was then I realized that I loved her. I still wasn't sure if I was in love with her or even if I love her as much as I love Steph, but I was willing to figure it out.

The door to the interrogation room open and Agent Tyler stepped back in. I stood up and waited. He held out his hand. "I'm sorry for any misunderstanding. You are free to go."

Being a Colonel, I couldn't be rude. No matter how much that bad boy part of me wanted to. Sometimes you just have to be nice even if it kills ya. So I shook the agent's hand and said my good byes. With in several minutes, I was back in my hotel room and on the phone with my right hand man and pacing the floor of my hotel room.

"Yo."

"Report."

Tank's low chuckles came through the phone loud and clear. "Finally done with the debriefing?"

I growled. There was no other word for it. It was a growl. Low. Deep. And threatening. I didn't want to be questioned anymore. I wanted to hear about Ashley.

Tank continued to laugh but he gave me what I wanted as I continued to pace the small hotel room. "She's fine, Range Man. She's down with Cal in the pool right now. Santos said she had some kind of a break through today."

This was good news. "Explain."

"I don't know the details. All I know is that after her session with her doctor, she was more smiles than usual. And she called some woman and agreed to be her daughter's coach."

Finally able to relax, I sat down on the edge of bed and felt the tension leave my shoulders. Hearing that Ashley was finally able to call Kelli's mother and agree to be the little girl's coach was indeed quite a break through for my sexy little gymnast. I knew she was fighting against her love of gymnastics with every fiber of her being. She didn't want to go back to performing. Yuri had taken a part of her that she might never get back, but she was fighting that too. She was most definitely a fighter. A survivor. I guess she would have to be a survivor if she was gonna put up with me. Because I was a hard ass.

"You gonna be home today?" Tank asked; apparently tired of my silence.

"I'm leaving now." I replied and hung up after saying a quick thank you. Tank was always there for me. For work and for my personal life. I owed that man a lot. But being the man that I am, I would probably never tell him that face to face.

After gathering my belongings, I left the room and returned my key. I was in my rental vehicle not even twenty minutes after hanging up the phone with Tank. I was on my way to the airport and on my way home when out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a sign that I couldn't resist. A store dedicated to life of a gymnast. I parked my black SUV and went inside. The chatter inside the store dropped to abrupt halt when I entered the brightly colored room but it didn't bother me. It was something I was use to.

The store was full of everything gymnastics. From t-shirts to leotards to gym bags and jackets and other crap I had no idea what it was or what it was used for. But I enjoyed looking and I enjoyed buying. Thirty minutes later, I walked out with three bags full of t-shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, leotards, and sweat shirts for Ashley. Each one of them had sayings and little jokes and what not. I only hoped Ashley liked them as well. Maybe I would give them to her one day at a time. I nodded. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

Several hours later, I let myself into the apartment on seven. It was dark and very quiet, but I could feel her presence. Her sweet scent wafted up my nose and almost brought me to my knees. Dios Mio, I didn't realize how much I truly missed her until now. Dios Mio, did I ever miss that sweet little thing sleeping in my bed. I don't ever remember feeling this way about anybody. I dropped the bags on the floor in the entry room and dropped my weapons on the entry table. I lived alone, except for Ashley so I knew the guns and knives would be okay and untouched until morning. I still had my utility belt on, but I didn't wanna take the time to remove it. I needed to get my hands on Ashley. To touch her. To hold her.

I got to the door of my bedroom and couldn't help but smile. I gave her my two hundred watt grin and opened my arms. To my surprise, she launched herself at me. I caught her easily and squeezed her tight. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and squeezed me back. It was an amazing feeling. I couldn't help but mold her to me as I ran my hands up and down her back and over her small heart shaped ass. She shuddered in my arms and I squeezed tighter.

I opened my mouth to tell her that I missed her, but so much more came tumbling out. "_Dios Mio, I missed you so damn much. I never thought_." I cut off and squeezed her harder. "_Damn Sweetness, I want you so much. I'm hurting with it. I just wanna throw you down on the bed and sink myself inside your warm heat." _

Two words and I was lost.

"Yes, please."


	24. The Next Level

The Next Level

Ranger's POV-

I got to the door of my bedroom and couldn't help but smile. I gave her my two hundred watt grin and opened my arms. To my surprise, she launched herself at me. I caught her easily and squeezed her tight. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and squeezed me back. It was an amazing feeling. I couldn't help but mold her to me as I ran my hands up and down her back and over her small heart shaped ass. She shuddered in my arms and I squeezed tighter.

I opened my mouth to tell her that I missed her, but so much more came tumbling out. "_Dios Mio, I missed you so damn much. I never thought_." I cut off and squeezed her harder. "_Damn Sweetness, I want you so much. I'm hurting with it. I just wanna throw you down on the bed and sink myself inside your warm heat." _

Her next words sent me into shock.

"Yes, please."

My rambling of Spanish cut off by two little words. I pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were shining with happiness and nerves. "Are you sure?" I asked; praying with every fiber of my being that she was serious and didn't change her mind. I wanted her. I wanted her body. I wanted her soul. I wanted her heart. I wanted to claim her as mine. Let the world know that she belonged to me.

She slowly nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. But I wanted the words. "Say it, Sweetness." I demanded in a low tone; my voice husky.

She swallowed hard. "Ranger, please." She stated softly as I walked towards the bed with her still in my arms.

"Please what?" I asked as I sat her down gently on the bed. Her arms slid from around my neck as I laid her back against the cool comforter on the bed.

"Make love to me. Please." She whispered in the sexiest voice I had ever heard.

I smiled as I climbed onto the bed straddling her. "I thought you would never ask."

I settled my mouth over hers and she welcomed me eagerly. Our tongues dueled, they played, they explored, they caressed, and they licked. I nipped her bottom lip before pulling back. With both hands I grabbed the collar of my RangeMan t-shirt that was covering Ashley's small form and jerked. The sound of tearing fabric ripped through the quiet bedroom followed by Ashley's small gasp of shock. I finished tearing away the t-shirt, leaving Ashley in nothing but a pair of the hottest pink panties. Her mouth was a small 'O' of surprise, her eyes were wide, and her breathing picked up. It shocked her and turned her on.

When a small smile crossed her face, I flashed another smile and claimed her mouth once more. This time my hands were busy roaming up and down her flesh. She shivered and moaned as the tips of my fingers trailed down one side, across her flat soft tummy, and up the other side. I left her mouth to trail kisses down her jawline and across the column of her throat. She threw her back to allow me more room to move and I gladly took it. I licked the pulse in her throat before nipping it with my teeth. She arched up sharply and whimpered. I smiled as I found a sweet spot and did it again. My name came out of her mouth; low and long.

I was hard and throbbing. Getting harder with each moan, whimper, or gasp that came from her sweet mouth but I took my time with her neck. Going back to her mouth repeatedly for those drugging kisses that I couldn't get enough of. Her hands went from my hair to my shirt; grabbing, fisting, and twisting with each nip, lick, kiss, or suck I placed upon her delicate flesh.

I brushed my thumbs lightly across her tightened nipples to see her reaction. I wanted to make sure I gave her plenty of time to change her mind before I went further. She let out another gasp of delight and arched her back, I took my cue. I kissed my way down to her breasts. I kissed and licked around both small globes without paying any attention to her nipples. My thumbs continued to brush over the hard nubs as they grew harder and harder. She moaned and whimpered as she tried to move my head where she wanted. I laughed low in my throat as I finally took one turgid peak into my mouth and sucked. She arched so hard she almost dislodged me, but I was heavier. She whimpered my name over and over as I paid so much attention to her breasts that she was now begging me to stop.

I chuckled low in my throat but finally left her breasts and kissed my way down to her tummy. I french kissed her belly button and she let out another gasp of surprise. It seemed as if everything I was doing to her either surprised her or shocked her. Her ex was a first class ass. I was beginning to wonder how he could have ever had sex with her in the first place. If he never did the foreplay than the actual act was gonna be a whole new experience for her. Foreplay for me was one of the best things about sex. Exploring your lover's body was an erotic act in itself. How could anyone skip over it?

Shaking my head, I kissed along her pelvic bone as I trailed my fingertips along her smooth skin. Her small hands gripped my shirt, pulling on me. I looked up to find her head thrown back, her eyes closed, and her skin flushed. After a second of watching her, she looked up to meet my eyes. A small smile curved her deletable mouth.

"I wanna touch you too." She stated; her voice barely above a whisper. Her request only made me harder. I didn't think that was possible. I did know that if she touched me I would be gone.

I shook my head. "Next time, Sweetness. I promise." I told her and went back to nipping and kissing her sweet smelling skin.

I grabbed the sides of her little pink panties. "I hope you aren't attached to these." I muttered before giving them a hard jerk and tearing them from her body. She once again let out a gasp of surprise and then moaned my name.

Smiling, I settled myself more firmly between her legs. My broad shoulders spread her legs so her pink soft center was opened and welcoming me to do whatever pleased me. She was so wet, her thighs were glistening. She was trimmed but not bare. She was beautiful. I skimmed my fingertips lightly across her mound and she arched her hips towards my hand; once again moaning my name.

Using my thumb and index finger, I opened her fully. She shivered and gasped and I had a feeling she was close. I touched the tip of my tongue to her clit and she went off like a bottle rocket. She bucked her hips, screamed my name, and came. She was closer than I thought. But with an ex like hers, I should have known. When her shaking subsided and she began to come down from the orgasmic high, I flicked her clit with the tip of tongue before sucking it into my mouth.

She screamed my name and bucked again. But I didn't release her. I sucked and licked her clit until she came once again. This time when she went to bucking and screaming, her hands curled into my hair and she pushed against my head. Her head was shaking violently from side to side. I smiled and dived back in. This time I licked her from top to bottom and back again. She continued to push at my head and muttered 'no more' continuously. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. Although stopping was the last thing I wanted.

When I pushed a single digit into her tight sheath, she screamed for me not to stop. I smiled while wrapping my tongue around her hard little nub of pleasure. I began sliding my index finger in and out slowly at first before building up the speed. She was so tight. I needed to loosen her up a lot more if she was gonna be able to take my girth. I finally slid two fingers inside her wet center and scissored my fingers back and forth. She arched her hips and moaned my name. My throbbing length was screaming for release but I wanted her to come one more time. And when I curled my fingers to find her g-spot, she came apart screaming my name.

I withdrew my fingers and my mouth and stood up. I pulled my shirt over my head before dropping my pants, utility belt, and toeing off my boots. I quickly grabbed a condom from the bed side table and covered my hard as nails erection. When I settled myself into the cradle of her body, she was just coming down from her third orgasm. She opened her eyes to find me directly over her. I grinned and received a smile.

She let out a breath. "Wow." She whispered against my mouth as I came closer.

"That's just the beginning, Sweetness." I told her before claiming her mouth and entering her in one smooth thrust. She screamed into my mouth as she arched against me.

I pulled almost all the out and slammed back in again; once more catching her scream of pleasure with my mouth. I could feel her tighten around me and it delighted me that she was close to coming again. Her fingers went to my hair and pulled tight. I pulled back, never leaving her tight heat to dislodge her fists. I pinned her hands on either side of her head and went back to bringing her to yet another orgasm.

She threw her head back and went back to shaking her head. "I can't. Ranger, I can't." She whimpered. "No more, Ranger. Too much."

I leaned down and licked up the column of her throat as I continued to thrust in and out, slowly at first then faster and faster.

"_One more, Sweetness. Just one more. I wanna feel you come around me_." I whispered Spanish into her ear, knowing she could understand me.

She moaned and tightened around me. I growled low in my throat and let go. I slammed into her over and over until she came screaming my name and I came moaning hers.

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV- One Week Later<p>

We were at the mall and I was hating every minute of it. But I would do it for her. A week had passed since I first made love to Ashley, but since then we had consummated our relationship several dozen times in a dozen different positions. She loved exploring my body almost as much as I loved exploring hers. Her favorite position was us our sides with me behind her. Her leg thrown back over my hip as I took her from behind. It's a tight fit and brings her (and myself) a lot of pleasure. My favorite position is her on top. I get complete access to her small breasts and her clit and she gets complete control or so she thinks anyway. I still control it, but it's fun watching her.

She loves oral sex. Performing it more so than receiving it. Although I perform it on her each and every chance I get. But she loves taking me in her mouth until I lose all control, grab fists full of her hair and start fucking her hot little mouth. She loves it and I'm all for it. She admitted that she loves that she can make me lose control. Hell, I loved it too. She was definitely a little wild cat in bed and I'm happy knowing that Keith was a dumb ass and lost her. Of course, eventually her ex would have to admit he was gay. He couldn't live his life in a lie. It just wouldn't work.

I looked up as Ashley stepped out of the dressing room. I immediately frowned. There was no way she was wearing that out in public. We were going to Point Pleasant for the weekend and she said she wanted a new bathing suit or two. I thought no harm in that as we entered the Victoria Secret store. But maybe I was wrong. That two piece bikini was barely a handkerchief and some tissue tied together.

"No." I said firmly.

She frowned momentarily before turning around in front of the mirror and smiling at herself. She had grown back her confidence. Not only in the bedroom or at RangeMan, but out in public. She didn't flaunt her body, but then she never had in the first place. However it did seem as though she come out of this ordeal with Yuri a whole new women.

She turned back towards me. "Why not? It's cute, Ranger." She replied. It was okay. The top was two bright yellow triangles with hot pink ruffle trim. It tied around her neck and behind her back and it pushed her small perky breasts out even more. The bottom matched the top with the bright yellow and pink ruffles but it tied at the waist. It had little bows on both sides of her waist that could easily be pulled and the bottoms would come off.

I shook my head again. "No."

She rolled her eyes and went back into the dressing room. Even though she didn't argue with me now, I knew that didn't mean that I had won the argument. She never backed down from me. Even when I woke up hand cuffed to my bed and pissed as hell, she didn't back down. She even smiled at me as she covered me in chocolate sauce. She laughed as I threatened her with revenge. Shaking her head and licking the sauce off my body. She then covered my dick in chocolate sauce and licked it off. After she sucked me off, I thought she would untie me. I was wrong. She then came back with caramel sauce and started the torture all over again. Her small pink tongue licked every last drop of caramel sauce off my abs. And thirty minutes later she covered my erection in caramel sauce and preceded to lick it off and suck me off once again. She wasn't finished by a long shot. After the caramel sauce, she returned with a can of whipped cream. I was immediately hard again. With all three toppings, she never missed an inch of my six foot frame. From my neck, ears, and shoulders to my legs, feet, and toes. From my hands, arms, and chest to my abs, nipples, and throbbing length. She covered every inch of me and then licked, sucked, and kissed it off. After I came for the third time, she unlocked the hand cuffs. However I was too exhausted to do anything so I pulled her into my arms and went to sleep. When we woke up, we were both sticky as hell and the sheets were ruined. I carried her to the bathroom where I took her from behind. Paybacks were hell and she loved every minute of the torture I gave her in return.

"How about this one?" Ashley's question pulled me from my thoughts.

I didn't like this one either. This one was a strip of white cloth wrapped around her breasts but instead of hiding them, it accented them. But of course with the brightly colored jeweled star nestled between those two perfect globes, I wasn't surprised. That little star pulled the attention to her breasts and held it. The little purple string bottoms were lower than the first ones and I could almost see the top of her mound. And for some reason she wasn't giving me her back. Which made me think the bottoms were a thong. Which told me that she was messing with me. She hated thongs.

"Turn around, Sweetness." I ordered. She blushed a bright red and I knew I had her. I stalked towards her until I backed her back into the dressing room. I shut the door and clicked the lock into place and back up against the wall. I cupped the back of her thighs with my hands and slid them up until I cupped her bare ass. I squeezed her ass and she squeaked.

"You do realize you're playing with fire?"

She pulled her bottom lip in between her even white teeth and nodded. She loved pushing my buttons and I had a feeling that's exactly what she was doing now.

"Why?"

She gave a slight shrug. "I really like the bathing suits." She replied.

I nodded. "You can keep the bathing suits." I told her and her face lit up. She may never back down from me, but she always wanted me happy. I liked that. "But you can only wear them for me." I added.

"If I only wear them for you, they'll never be on long." She replied.

I gave her my two hundred watt smile. "I don't know about that. I bet we could get around that."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "We could?" She asked.

I nodded as I unbuckled my belt and unzipped my pants. Since I always went commando, my erection sprung up and out of its confinement. Her eyes went wide and I smiled.

"Are we gonna have wall sex?" She whispered huskily. I nodded and she giggled. "I've always wanted to have wall sex." She whispered again.

I laughed as I pulled my wallet from pants and grabbed a condom. I brushed my mouth across hers before sheathing myself. I yanked her against me and settled my mouth over hers. I owned and possessed her mouth. I took, I didn't ask. She gave back a hundred percent. My fingers found the edge of her bikini bottoms and slipped in to find her soaking wet. I pulled away from her lips.

"You're gonna have to be quiet." I told her as I picked her up. She nodded as her legs instantly went around my waist. I pulled aside the crotch of the bottoms so I could slowly sink inside her tight heat. I just barely covered her mouth with mine when she screamed as I sank balls deep inside. I smiled against her mouth and I started to thrust in and out; slamming her back against the wall. Her fingers went through my hair, pulling out my leather tie. When I rotated my hips against her, she screamed, arched against me, tightened her hands in my hair and went wild. She bucked hard and screamed into my mouth.

I reached between us with my free hand and pinched her clit. And if anything, she went even more crazier. She came hard, squeezing me tight and screaming my name into my mouth. I came right behind her. Her center squeezing me so tight that I couldn't stop from coming hard.

She wrenched her mouth from mine and moaned. "That was amazing." I nodded my agreement as I dropped my head onto her shoulder.

"We gotta keep the bikinis." She muttered against my hair.

I laughed. Of course we were keeping the bikinis. Was there ever any doubt?

* * *

><p>Ranger's POV-<p>

We left Victoria Secret with a total of five bikinis and three one pieces. All in different colors and designs. When the clerk was ringing up the bathing suits, she was red as a tomato and so was Ashley. I should have known that Ashley couldn't keep quiet. She was a screamer. And I loved it.

She was talking a mile a minute about her counseling and her gymnastics. She had decided to go to counseling once a week instead of three times because she was now coaching Kelli. She adored Kelli and vice versa. They got a long so well that Ashley found that she wanted to coach full time. She loved gymnastics but found that she loved coaching a little more.

She stopped talking and walking to peer into a window. I stopped and turned to look at her. She was wearing a pair of short blue jean shorts and a white t-shirt that I bought her. It was her favorite. In bright colors it read, 'Gymnastics. You don't need balls. Just a little chalk and a lot of attitude.' She loved all the clothes I bought her, but this one was her favorite.

When I finally took my attention away from her heart shaped ass and to her face, I was immensely disappointed to find her looking at jewelry. I thought she was just a little bit different, but I guess all women loved jewelry. More the sparkle, better the jewelry. I gave a quick shake of my head and stepped up behind her. In the window was everything from rings and pendants to bracelets and necklaces.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and she leaned against me. "What are you looking at, Sweetness?" I asked.

She pointed towards one of the pendants and it was then I noticed it. A quarter size white gold pendant that was threaded through a matching white gold chain. On the pendant, there was a figure in a light colored pink leotard doing the splits.

"I was thinking of getting it for Kelli. She's still having trouble with the splits even though I told her that practice makes perfect. But I was wondering if they could engrave something on it."

It took me a minute to answer her back as I just realized that I was completely in love with this small woman. How did I come to realize that? Any other woman who was looking down diamonds of all different shapes and sizes would have been thinking of themselves. This woman was always thinking of others. I could see her face in the window perfectly. Her eyes were shining and her skin was flushed from our recent activity in the Victoria Secret's dressing room. But I knew she wasn't lying. She didn't care about herself. She cared about others.

How did I not realize this before? How did I not realize before now that I was totally in love with her. That was she my everything. My life. My heart. Steph maybe my light, but Ashley was my all.

We walked out of the jewelry store an hour later with two pendants. One in a brightly wrapped package for Kelli. One side with the little girl and the other side engraved with 'Never Give Up.' The other pendant was around Ashley's small neck. Her little girl was in a black leotard on the bars and on the other side, 'Always A Winner.' Both pendants were done in rhodium, despite an argument from Ashley. She said it was too much, but I told her it wasn't. Nothing was too much for her.

After the jewelry store, we hiked back to my Porsche Cayenne. I put our packages in the back before helping Ashley into the car. But before she could swing her legs into the SUV, I stopped her. I stepped between her legs and pulled her against me. Her eyes were shining but a frown marred her features. I traced the slope of her small nose with my finger before brushing a kiss across her mouth.

"I love you."

She pulled back to look into my eyes before a smile graced her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed as she whispered in my ear. "I love you too, Ranger."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm sorry I was away for so long. My husband went into the hospital almost two weeks ago and it was a little scary there for awhile. As right now, everything is okay but he still has a long road a head of him. There is only more chapter left and that chapter will be the epilogue. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks!<p> 


	25. Honey

Author's Note: I'm really sorry this is so late and so short. My last chapter I told y'all that my husband had been in the hospital, well since then he has went back. May 21, we had to call an ambulance to take him to the local hospital. His blood pressure was around 50/20 and his entire system was shutting down. His gall bladder was so infected that it was killing his organs. The transported him to another hospital in Greenville, NC. One of the best in the state. They got him hydrated and his BP back up. Then they took him to put a drain in his gall bladder to drain some of that infective fluid off. After a week at the hospital, he was released on June 1. A week later his drain got clogged and slowly his system went back to failing. On June 11, he was readmitted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. The doctors did some more tests and decided to do exploratory surgery. They didn't want to remove the gall bladder because it was too badly infected, but decided to go for it. This was going to be a major risk because if something happened and the gall bladder ruptured, it could have killed him. He went into surgery Thursday, lost a lot of blood and had to have a blood transfusion, spent two days in ICU after and was released from the hospital June 19. He has a 12 inch cut in right around his breast bone area and 18 staples. He has a long road of recovery, but he's doing good.

So I know this story took forever to finish and I'm thankful that you guys are still reading(or I hope). While Paul was in the hospital, I got a great idea for another story. I won't be publishing anytime soon. I'm going to take a break but write chapters while I'm doing so. Please enjoy this chapter and Thank you guys so much.

Honey: A Year Later

Ranger's POV-

"Would you stop your growling." Tank barked at me.

I shot him a dark look and growled before focusing my attention back on my woman. I heard the voice again and I growled low and menacing. I didn't like the words that were being said. And if they didn't shut up then I was going to make them shut up.

"She is so hot." It was said with a snicker.

"I bet she's limber as hell." Another one said.

My growling got louder. Tank leaned forward to look past me to glance at the two idiots sitting next to me. I knew what he was seeing. Two average looking white boys with sandy colored hair with an average build. They didn't stand a chance with my woman but I didn't like their comments. Especially that one.

"Those lean legs of hers would look good wrapped around my waist."

This time it was Tank who growled. "Shut the hell up." Tank barked. Both of them jumped in their seats and looked over at Tank and me. They glared.

"What is your problem, dude?" The one closest to me asked.

"Yeah we're doing the same thing you are. Admiring the show." The other one said.

Before we could reply a gasp ripped through the audience and I snapped my head around. Ashley was performing and I couldn't believe these two assholes were making me miss it. This was her second time performing in a gymnastics competition. The first time she performed it was a team competition as this one is and they came in first place. Shocked the shit out of her but not me. I knew she could do it. And Kelli too. Now the second time she performs, I'm missing it because of the shit heads next to me.

"It's Ashley, Boss. She's down." Tank spoke but I barely heard the words. I was up and on my feet before he finished.

I looked around and found Kelli off to the side, her mother by her side. Kelli had tears streaming down her cheeks and even though I wanted to head towards Ashley, I knew what Ashley would want. So I forced myself to jog towards Kelli. When I reached her, she threw her arms around my waist and sobbed. Kelli's mom gave me a 'I'm sorry' look and I shook my head.

"What happened, Kelli?" I asked the small female once I got her to loosen her hold on my waist.

"I got in her way, Mr. Ranger. I'm sorry. She's hurt cuz of me." She choked out.

I shook my head as I crouched down to look into her eyes. "It's not your fault. I promise. Ashley wouldn't blame you either. It was an accident. That's all. Okay?" I told her.

She sniffed and nodded as she ran her wrist across her nose. Dios. "I'm gonna go check on Ashley, Okay?" I asked and she nodded again. I stood up and nodded towards her mother who smiled her thanks. I turned and jogged towards Ashley who was now sitting on a bench off to the side. She looked up as I reached her. She smiled. An older man was wrapping her left wrist and she was smiling.

"Is Kelli okay? I saw you talking to her. Is she?" She asked me before I brushed a kiss across her mouth and sat down; pulling her-as much as I could-into my arms as I settled myself next to her.

"Kelli's fine. I promise. How are you? What happened?"

"I was suppose to do the "Bring It On" routine." She used one hand to show the quotation marks. I had no idea what bring it on was, but I really didn't care. "Kelli was suppose to step to the left side when I was to began and she stepped to the right instead. She forgot. It happens. I just hope I didn't hurt her when I went into that first flip."

I shook my head and instead of speaking, I bent down and nuzzled my face into her neck. She was the one who was hurt and she was worried about others. She never seize to amaze me. Dios, I love her. She giggled as I continued to nuzzle her neck.

"Darlin', are you okay?" Her southern side spoke and I smiled. I loved it when she called me darling.

I pulled away and kissed her mouth. She would have taken it further but I pulled away. "How are you?" I asked; side stepping her question.

"I'm fine. Just a sprained wrist." She replied.

"Are you sure?"

Ashley nodded. "I'm sure. The doctor says so. Right, Doc?" Ashley replied.

I turned to look at the doctor who just finished wrapping her small wrist. He nodded. "She just sprained it, but she still needs to have it x-rayed to be on the safe side."

"She'll go now." I said and the doctor nodded in return.

I focused my attention back on my wife. I was still having a hard time getting use to saying that. We've only been married for a little over a month. I proposed to her exactly a year after we met. I proposed to her in my gym during self defense practice. I was behind her when I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face into her neck. I nibbled on her ear then whispered huskily, 'will you marry me?'. I thought she was gonna faint. And when I pulled an engagement ring from my pocket, she did. I panicked, but when she opened her eyes and a yes slipped out of her mouth I was happy. A month later we were married in a small beach wedding. It was my family, her family, my employees, and a few friends. Steph was even there.

I smiled, remembering the conversation I had with Ashley about Stephanie. We were laying in bed one evening, wrapped up in each others arms. I never wanted Ashley to think she came in second to Steph because she didn't. But I needed to explain to my future wife why Steph was so important to me. I've always thought that Steph was my light and she is. She opened my eyes for a relationship; to feel, to care, and to love. So that way when the right one came along, I would be ready for that relationship. Without her, I may have screwed up any chances I had with Ashley. So I explained to Ashley why Steph would always be around. She smiled and patted my cheek. Her response, "Oh Darlin' I trust you completely." She then brushed a kiss across my neck and got in the shower. Best shower sex I've ever had.

"I don't wanna go now." Ashley's pout pulled me from my thoughts.

I chuckled. "Why not?"

"Because I'm having dinner with Steph and then we're going to the club this evening. I have to go."

I knew why she just had to go. Her and Steph had been talking about this for a while now. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but after hearing what Ashley had planned, I was happy that those two had become friends. Okay, so I was glad for several more reasons, but none of them turned me on as much as the first reason.

"You know I know about the whole panty thing, right?"

She paled and I bit back laughter. "What panty thing?" She asked.

I smiled and leaned in closer. "The whole panty thing where you leave with panties on and come back with no panties. Then I go all caveman and show you that you belong to me." I growled deep in my throat.

Her breathing hitched and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "I belong to myself and I have no idea what you're talking about."

I got closer until my lips brushed her ear. "Ditch dinner and the club and I'll show you just how much you belong to me. And I'll make sure you never forget it."

Her eyes went wide and she swallowed hard. She turned her head to look into my eyes. "Can I hand cuff you to the bed again?" She asked in a whisper.

I brushed my fingers across the undersize of her breast and watched her breathing hitch a little more. I loved that even after a year, I still had this affect over her. But then again she had the same affect over me. I pulled her in for a more through kiss before replying.

"No, but this time, I'll handcuff you to the bed and cover you in honey."

She swallowed. "Why honey?" She asked softly.

I leaned closer still. "Because I love a little honey with my Sweetness."


End file.
